Fulham 0-1 Southampton: Stewart Penalty Sends Saints Into Quarter-Finals
Ross Stewart’s injury-time penalty sent Championship side southampton to a 1-0 win at Craven Cottage and into the FA Cup quarter-finals. The late spot-kick overturned a nervy match and matters because it extends the club’s unbeaten run and secures a place in the last eight for the first time in four years.
Southampton penalty awarded after Joachim Andersen foul
Referee Jarred Gillett pointed to the spot immediately after Finn Azaz was brought down inside the box by Joachim Andersen, leading to the decisive spot-kick just after the 90-minute mark. Substitute Ross Stewart thumped his penalty past Benjamin Lecomte, ending the tie and delivering the single goal that decided the match.
Fulham had two goals ruled out during the match
Fulham were controversially denied an early opener when Daniel Peretz’s goal-kick struck team-mate Ryan Manning and fell to Rodrigo Muniz, but Gillett had blown his whistle before the ball crossed the line, judging the ball was still moving when the goal-kick was taken. Later, in the 54th minute, Timothy Castagne’s finish was ruled out after the offside flag was raised against Joachim Andersen, who had headed the ball down from a free-kick.
Silva’s nine changes and Fulham’s 24 shots went unrewarded
Marco Silva made nine changes to his starting XI for the tie, selecting a heavily rotated side that mustered 24 shots but failed to beat goalkeeper Daniel Peretz. Despite abundant possession and numerous attempts, Fulham could not find the end product their shot count suggested, a point Silva highlighted after the defeat.
Eckert’s resurgent side and southampton’s 10-game unbeaten run
Tonda Eckert’s resurgent side now extends an unbeaten run to 10 games across all competitions, a sequence that coincides with Southampton pushing up the Championship table and re-entering national cup contention. The victory marks the club’s return to the FA Cup quarter-finals for the first time in four years and underlines the turnaround since Eckert took charge.
Clarity on Southampton’s next opponent will come at the FA Cup draw, with the draw expected to confirm the club’s last-eight fixture.
