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Southampton cheekily mocks Arsenal, Portsmouth, Piers Morgan and TNT Sports after FA Cup win

Southampton cheekily mocks Arsenal, Portsmouth, Piers Morgan and TNT Sports after their FA Cup quarter final win on Saturday.

The team who sit 7th in the Championship, extended their unbeaten run to 15 games, stunning the Premier League leaders to reach FA Cup semi-finals for first time since 2021.

Viktor Gyokeres had levelled for the Gunners on 68 minutes after Ross Stewart’s 35th minute opener, but then St Mary’s erupted when Shea Charles netted a 85th minute winner for the Saints.

Southampton goalscorer Ross Stewart, speaking to BBC Sport: “Incredible night, the celebrations are mad. An unbelievable night for the club. We knew we could hurt them. We were a threat on the counter.”

On the important games coming up: “We will enjoy tonight. Tomorrow we’ll be back to business. It’s not every day you reach an FA Cup semi-final. We have a lot of tough league fixtures between now and then.”

Southampton matchwinner Shea Charles, speaking to BBC Sport: “It’s a real relief.”

On what he was told before coming on: “I got told to come on and try and get hold of the game, try and keep the ball a bit. We did OK, but to score was just special. I thought just try and place it in the corner.

“It’s really special. These fans deserve this and you heard how loud they were tonight.”

On going for promotion and reaching the FA Cup semi-finals on the 50th anniversary of when Saints last won it: “It feels that way a little bit. To do something like that with this team would be unbelievable.”

Southampton manager Tonda Eckert, speaking to BBC Sport: “We put on a good shift today. It was a challenge, we knew it was going to be a tough game. The second half always has the chance to shift and we reacted quite well.

“You like to have spells on the ball, we knew there would be situations where we need to move more than we usually do and complement to the boys.”

On if his plan was to go direct: “You always need to find a balance, it’s not going direct for the sake of going direct. You need spells with shorter solutions and we had a good mix today.”

On scoring the winner after being pegged back: “It’s a constant work, it’s not what you turn on and off. We have made good steps and we need to continue to do so.”

On if this result can help Southampton’s Championship run-in: “Belief is always there, it’s not been a problem. The reality is that the game is close. It’s going to be nice to celebrate today but we open up Wrexham and Championship football tomorrow.”

On if this is written in the stars on the 50th anniversary of Southampton’s FA Cup win: “That’s more a story for the media.”

 Eckert: “It’s a big night for us we knew we had to dig deep in some moments. We also had some very good spells on the ball which you need against a team like that. I think over the 90 minutes it was very well-deserved.

“Every game has it’s own story. Some games you need to win with 70% possession, some games you need to win on the transition or set-piece. So there’s different ways. We’ve shown we are able to play games in different ways and I think that’s important.”

On whether his side adapted to the windy conditions better: “We won the toss and changed sides. That says enough, eh?

“They’re a good team and you can throw problems at them and they always have solutions. They are so well-managed and tough to come up against. We had some moments where we did find a couple of solutions. You need to react to see what the second half brings. Then there are the substitutions that change the game. I think we made quite good substitutions on the back of that. In the end it was a big night for us and a big night for the supporters.”

On saying in his pre-match interview match-winner Shea Charles would star off the bench: “It’s a good way to start and end the interview, no?”

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta on what went wrong: “The result and especially the way we conceded the two goals. We had so much dominance in and around the box. We conceded the first goal in a very unusual way for us, the second one from direct play as well. We had two massive chances and needed to capitalise on that. If you make defending errors we made today it’s very difficult to be in the semi-final.”

On if Southampton surprised Arsenal: “No, they are a very good side on a very good run and you have to congratulate them.”

On if the weather conditions were a factor: “You have to adapt to the wind, the injuries. You have to adapt to difficult situations in the season. Now we have to show what we are made of.”

On if his players weren’t used to playing together: “That team had very good moments in certain moments. They should have capitalised and been and Wembley and we haven’t done it.”

Arteta, speaking to BBC Sport: “We have to congratulate Southampton. They are in Wembley, we are not.

“We didn’t manage the long balls well enough. We just let the ball through us. Difficult to explain but credit to them.

On how he picks his players up: “They have already done it in the dressing room.”

On Gabriel’s injury: “He couldn’t continue so we have to assess him.”

On if the likes of Rice and Saka will return for the Champions League: “I hope we can recover some players we are missing.”

On back-to-back defeats: “In the season you have to go through periods. Some of them are difficult for whatever reason. Now we have two very disappointing results and we have to pick ourselves up. Now we have to show what we are made of and the way to do that is on the pitch and not here.”

On how he keeps out the outside noise: “It’s always been like this from the beginning of the season when the expectations on your team are so high. That’s what you have to expect and live with in a natural way. Nobody is going to set the demands and standards higher than us that’s for sure.”

Arsenal’s Christian Norgaard: “It was at times a little bit too chaotic. They were very sharp in transitions which we didn’t manage very well. We had the momentum in the second half especially when we equalised and conceded a very stupid goal from a goal kick which we cannot allow or accept. Very frustrating for us, but already a big game on Tuesday and time for us to show what we are made of.”

On if Arsenal never felt in control: “There were times when we felt in control but there were moments when they really had us. Overall not good enough. But there were times when we could have enjoyed the momentum a bit more. Those are the moments when we should have been sharper.”

On if not playing together regularly: “No, there are no excuses for tonight. It has nothing to do with injuries or availability. We had a really good team on the pitch that should have been competing on a high level. We need to pick ourselves up. We have two big competitions left to compete in.”

Southampton’s Leo Scienza: “Amazing. There are no words to describe how much we fought today. It was not luck, we fought so hard and we deserved it. We played good, very mature. Let’s just enjoy the night and enjoy the moment. Tomorrow we have to switch on again because the calendar is crazy. We have a big, big focus this season to be at Wembley more than once. So let’s just enjoy the day today.

“It’s difficult to say it went exactly how we wanted it, but certainly spells in the game went the way we wanted. They are the best team in England and one of the best teams in the world right now, so it’s difficult to stop the quality they have, but we did very well. We studied a lot. We knew when to suffer. My team-mates were very cold in front of the goal to score and we deserved to win and are very happy.

“In the first half I tried to dribble the keeper, I didn’t see the defender, he just went behind me and woosh, I didn’t see where he came from. I relaxed. It should’ve been a goal, there is no excuse. In the second half I was a bit unlucky. Sometimes the ball hits the post and goes down for a goal. But football is like this. The most important action is the next one, so thanks to my team-mates because they scored the goals today. It’s an amazing feeling.

“No, it doesn’t matter who plays [for Arsenal]. They have 30 players and all of them can play and do the job. They are an amazing team. But this is the beauty of the cup. You have a Championship team who play at home with an amazing atmosphere, our fans were unbelievable, and it’s decided in 90 minutes. Everything was in our favour so we are happy.

“We play in the moment the best team in England. If you want to win the title you have to beat them all. All the other teams will be very difficult but at the moment we just have to be grateful, tomorrow is a new day. I don’t when the game will be because we don’t have the calendar space!

“I want to thank my team-mates because without them it is not possible to have this amazing night at St Mary’s.”

Here’s how social media users reacted as Southampton cheekily mocks Arsenal, Portsmouth, Piers Morgan and TNT Sports after their FA Cup quarter final win…

@Josh_Fulford98: Admin is on an absolute all timer tonight, can’t keep up and retweet fast enough

@Adam_Webster96: Southampton admin has had a great night tonight

@bigsul72: Southampton admin on 🔥 🤣🤣

@realdominochris: Southampton admin happily working overtime tonight

@City_Chief: Admin cooking non stop!

@weare72cast: Southampton’s admin has been on a GENERATIONAL run since full time! 😅

@bpay12: Do you know, I thought fair play to these lot last night, they were excellent. But shows how tinpot they really are that in one of there greatest moments in the clubs history, they thought of us. #pompey

@SilvasSegments: Southampton admin with no chill tonight and fair play! They are certainly enjoying themselves and so they should! Crack on lads! 👏🏻

@TheKopWatch: Rate it a lot

@LiberalSaint85: Ha ha. Very much here for this @SouthamptonFC

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