OWN-GOAL AGONY AS HOLDERS CRASH OUT

MIKEL ARTETA’S hopes of retaining the FA Cup crumbled as his Arsenal side conceded their first goal since Boxing Day. The Gunners had gone an impressive 508 minutes without letting one in on a six-game run which had seen them win four and draw two before this match.

But they were second best for much of the afternoon against a Southampton side who thoroughly merited their victory and who claimed it courtesy of Gabriel’s own-goal.

The Brazilian stuck out a leg to divert right-back Kylewalkerpeters’ (right) low cross-shot underneath Bernd Leno midway

DEFENCE BREACHED:

Gabriel turns in Walker-peters’ cross through the first half.and despite a marginally improved performance after the break, Arsenal never really carved out the clear-cut chances they needed to get back into the game.

Arteta said: “I’m very disappointed because we wanted to continue in the competition.

“We had a dream to do it again like we did last year, step by step, and it is over.

“I was very disappointed with the way we conceded the goal in an area we know we shouldn’t be doing that and gave the lead to the opponent.

“But at the same time I can’t fault the effort, how they tried, how they improved throughout the game and how we tried to go for the goal but we couldn’t do it.”

Arsenal were caught dwelling on the ball as Southampton’s ultra-aggressive pressing gave them all sorts of problems in the first half.

Ibrahima Diallo and James Ward-prowse pulled the strings in midfield for the home side but in front of them Danny Ings, Che Adams, Stuart Armstrong and Theo Walcott harried and hassled the visitors into making mistakes.

They will now face Wolves in the fifth round after their victory over Chorley on Friday.

Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl, who picked a strong side, was pleased with Southampton’s first ever win against Arsenal in the famous old competition.

He said: “In the first half we were very good after a few problems at the beginning with the pressing, we had to adjust it a little bit but then it was better after the first 10 minutes.

“Our decision-making wasn’t the best either, otherwise we could have scored a little bit more.

“But we invested a lot and we played a good game.”

Arteta, whose captain Pierreemerick Aubameyang travelled to Southampton but returned to London yesterday morning due to “personal issues”, made changes with Willian, Nicolas Pepe and Eddie Nketiah among others starting.

But none of them managed to suggest they should start at St Mary’s on Tuesday when they are back for a Premier League game.