Southampton celebrating
LONDON, United Kingdom, Dec 1 – Southampton dealt Arsenal a shock defeat in the English League Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday as goals from Jordy Clasie and Ryan Bertrand earned Claude Puel’s side a 2-0 win.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger had been hoping to win the competition for the first time, but instead his decision to make 10 changes backfired as Southampton ended his side’s 19-game unbeaten run.
Southampton, who also eliminated Arsenal from the competition two seasons ago, reached the semi-finals after losing their last six last-eight ties in the competition.
Puel’s side join Liverpool, Hull City and either Manchester United or West Ham United — who were facing off in Wednesday’s other quarter-final — in the draw for the last four.
Dutch midfielder Clasie’s blistering drive put Southampton ahead in the 13th minute at the Emirates Stadium.
Southampton’s Ryan Bertrand (C) celebrates scoring his team’s second goal against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in London on November 30, 2016
England left-back Bertrand added a second seven minutes before half-time, gathering Sofiane Boufal’s pass and rifling a shot into the bottom corner.
Mohamed Elneny was the only player to have kept his place from Arsenal’s 3-1 win over Bournemouth on Sunday, but he succumbed to injury before half-time and was replaced by Granit Xhaka.
It was Arsenal’s first defeat since a 4-3 loss at home to Liverpool on the opening weekend of the Premier League season.
