Championship side Southampton stunned Fulham with a 1–0 victory on Sunday to reach the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.
Ross Stewart converted a stoppage-time penalty at Craven Cottage to seal a dramatic fifth-round win for Southampton.
The defeat was a major setback for Fulham manager Marco Silva, whose decision to heavily rotate his squad backfired. Silva made nine changes following Fulham’s disappointing 1–0 loss to West Ham United in the Premier League earlier in the week.
Despite the reshuffle, Fulham struggled to break down a disciplined Southampton side.
The decisive moment came in the first minute of stoppage time when Finn Azaz was brought down by Fulham defender Joachim Andersen inside the box. Stewart stepped up and calmly fired the penalty past goalkeeper Benjamin Lecomte.
Relegated from the Premier League last season, Southampton have now reached the FA Cup quarter-finals for the first time since 2022.
The Saints wore a special yellow commemorative kit to mark 50 years since they donned the same colours in the 1976 FA Cup final, when Bobby Stokes scored the winner to secure a famous victory over Manchester United at Wembley Stadium.
While Southampton’s current squad still has some way to go to match that historic triumph achieved under manager Lawrie McMenemy, the team led by Tonda Eckert is enjoying strong form.
Southampton are now unbeaten in 10 matches in all competitions as they pursue both FA Cup success and a place in the Championship play-offs.
Elsewhere in the fifth round, Sunderland travel to face Port Vale, who sit bottom of EFL League One. Leeds United host Norwich City, while West Ham United take on Brentford on Monday.
Meanwhile, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool have already secured their places in the quarter-finals.
AFP
