RESULT
Bournemouth 0 Southampton 3 (Djenepo (37', Redmond 45' 1, 59')
Man of the match Nathan Redmond (Southampton)
If 2021 has been a dismal year for Southampton in the Premier League, it may yet prove a glorious one in the FA Cup. The 1976 winners became the first semi-finalists as they stepped up their quest for only a second major trophy in their history.
Southampton’s lone piece of silverware came as a second-division side but they ended the Football League interest in this season’s FA Cup. Bournemouth were its last survivors but they were beaten by Moussa Djenepo and Nathan Redmond. Two underachievers in the top flight excelled against the Championship club.
It highlighted the twin sides of Saints. A rampant, dominant display scarcely helped explain their slide down the table.
“We said in January we want to focus on the FA Cup but maybe I should have said I want to focus on both things,” said a smiling Ralph Hasenhuttl, the Southampton manager.
His team only have four points from their last 12 league games, but they have as many FA Cup victories in that time. Former Premier League leaders may instead prosper in another competition and, after beating Arsenal and Wolves, they have shown they can raise their game in knockout ties.
“We knew we wanted a cup run this season,” said Redmond. “It is a good chance for us to put the league form behind us, which has been poor of late.”
If Southampton’s squad players have been found wanting too often in recent weeks, this amounted to a triumph for two who may not rank in Hasenhuttl’s strongest side. Djenepo took the place of the cup-tied Takumi Minamino on the left flank and scored his first goal in 20 games, while Redmond was standing in as a striker in the absence of the injured Danny Ings. He created the first goal, scored the next two and delivered the sort of incisive display that prompted questions why his season had only brought one earlier strike.
They combined superbly for the opener. Redmond’s slide-rule pass was perfectly timed, Djenepo’s low finish placed in the far corner. Then Redmond surged away on a diagonal solo run, garnished by a rasping, rising shot over Asmir Begovic. “This season I have not really ran at people so much and I am trying to figure out why,” Redmond said. His second was steered past the grounded goalkeeper, who had dived when Stuart Armstrong hit the post after being teed up by Redmond.
“He had a difficult year with his performances and his injuries and I am hoping this game gives him the lift so he shows more often his quality,” Hasenhuttl said.
Redmond was inches from a hat-trick with a curler while the influential Armstrong had a shot parried as Southampton’s win could have been more emphatic. They had two goals disallowed, with Cameron Carter-Vickers reprieved when he turned a cross from the offside Kyle Walker-Peters into his own net and Che Adams denied for a handball just before he arrowed a shot in from 20 yards.
Indeed, it was so comfortable that Hasenhuttl was able to substitute his two centre-backs, who had both been booked. After their departure, Arnaut Danjuma tested Fraser Forster for a second time and Sam Surridge drew a fine save with a header but the goalkeeper kept a clean sheet and Southampton are yet to concede in the FA Cup.
“The lads never gave up,” said Bournemouth manager Jonathan Woodgate. “We gave it everything but they are a good side. We move on. We have got nine big games to get to the play-offs.”
Failing to secure a top-six finish would be a bigger blow, but Bournemouth missed their injured contingent as they were stripped of seven players for their first FA Cup quarter-final since 1957.
They rarely looked like reaching a maiden semi-final. They will hope they do not have to wait another 64 years for a similar achievement. Southampton, though, can dream that history will repeat itself.
Babumoshai Bandookbaaz
Director: Kushan Nandy
Starring: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Bidita Bag, Jatin Goswami
Three stars
Tuesday's fixtures
Kyrgyzstan v Qatar, 5.45pm
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 178hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 280Nm at 1,350-4,200rpm
Transmission: seven-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: from Dh209,000
On sale: now
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Brief scores:
Pakistan (1st innings) 181: Babar 71; Olivier 6-37
South Africa (1st innings) 223: Bavuma 53; Amir 4-62
Pakistan (2nd innings) 190: Masood 65, Imam 57; Olivier 5-59
New Zealand squad
Tim Southee (capt), Trent Boult (games 4 and 5), Colin de Grandhomme, Lockie Ferguson (games 1-3), Martin Guptill, Scott Kuggeleijn, Daryl Mitchell, Colin Munro, Jimmy Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Ross Taylor, Blair Tickner
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RESULT
Bournemouth 0 Southampton 3 (Djenepo (37', Redmond 45' 1, 59')
Man of the match Nathan Redmond (Southampton)
