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SOUTHAMPTON (Reuters) – Starters Arsenal withdrew from the FA Cup in the fourth round disappointingly, as Gabriel’s own-half goal in the first half sentenced them to a 1-0 loss to Southampton on Saturday.
Manchester City also appeared to be on the brink of defeat at fourth division Cheltenham Town, but scored three times in the final 10 minutes to avoid one of the competition’s big upsets.
Southampton and City were joined in the round of 16 by top flight rivals West Ham United, who defeated third division Doncaster Rovers 4-0, Brighton & Hove Albion who beat Blackpool 2-1 and Sheffield United which beat Plymouth Argyle 2-1.
Arsenal claimed a record 14 FA Cup titles by beating Chelsea in August, but Mikel Arteta’s trophy defense ended with a groan.
Southampton deservedly took the lead in the 24th minute when Kyle Walker-Peters made a low cross into the box and Gabriel inadvertently touched it and passed goalkeeper Bernd Leno.
Arsenal could have fallen further behind if local striker Danny Ings was close to the hosts on several occasions.
The visitors, who made a number of changes for the tie on the south coast, applied some pressure in the second half with Rob Holding squandering his best chance, but Southampton held on to prepare for a fifth-round clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers.
It was his first FA Cup win over Arsenal.
“We had more strength in the first half,” said Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl.
“In the second half it’s normal for them to have momentum. We have to score the second goal. We made one or two chances, Shane Long should have taken a penalty.
“It was a good team performance today.”
Arsenal’s first loss in seven games was a bitter pill for Arteta to swallow.
“Really sad to be out of the competition. Disappointed to be out and the way we fit in,” said the Spaniard.
For the FA Cup romantics, Cheltenham almost provided a classic addition to the competition’s rich history.
When Cheltenham captain Ben Tozer threw another massive serve into the City area just before time and in the resulting fight Alfie May pushed home, raising the possibility of having Pep Guardiola pack his bags.
They held on until the 81st minute when Phil Foden scored the equalizer. When Gabriel Jesús scored again three minutes later, City could breathe easy. Ferran Torres added a late third.
However, Guardiola will not forget the tie in a hurry.
“They used their quality in the box, they are taller and better than us there and we show videos on how to solve it. It’s hard to control that,” he said after his team’s 10th consecutive win in all competitions.
For Cheltenham manager Michael Duff, it was a case of what could have been.
“I’m incredibly proud. The players they brought in from the bench and the way they celebrated the goals tells you something. They know they’ve been in a game. They’ve done it with better teams than us,” he said. .
City will face Swansea City, a championship high-flying team, in the fifth round after the Welsh club crushed Nottingham Forest 5-1.
Norwich City lost 1-0 at Barnsley, while Bristol City won 3-0 away from Millwall.
In Sunday’s big tie, Manchester United host Liverpool while Chelsea face Luton Town.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Hugh Lawson, Christian Radnedge and Pritha Sarkar)
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