Southampton V Arsenal The FA Cup Preview
Saturday, 4th Apr 2026 08:49
Saints take on the Premier League Gunners in the quarter final of the FA Cup, but with both facing big games on Tuesday evening, neither is likely to play their strongest team, so what will Tonda Eckert's side be for this game.
In usual circumstances Cup fever would have broken out in Southampton for this tie, but the truth is the game against Wrexham on Tuesday evening is far more important in the bigger picture.
Friday's result's in the Championship were a mixed bag for Saints, they could have been better and they could have been worse, but they were in most respects favourable to the promotion challenge, with Wrexham & Hull both drawing and Derby losing.
To be blunt Tonda Eckert could probably have done without this game in terms of our promotion challenge, it is a an unnecessary risk.
But we have got this far in the competition, so we have to give it a goal.
There will be changes to the starting line up and indeed the squad, Flynn Downes & Kuryu Matsuki are both suspended and there are injury doubts on both Jack Stephens & Leo Scienza.
I suspect that after a 4 week break Scienza will be nearing fitness and may be ready to play some part at Wrexham if needed, but Stephens is an unknown after limping out of the open training session earlier this week, after a collision with his likely replacement this evening Nathan Wood.
I suspect that neither will be in the starting line up, but perhaps Stephens might make the bench.
Elsewhere the biggest risk is perhaps the Goalkeeper, Daniel Peretz has been in fine form, but at the moment we have little cover for him should he get injured, Alex McCarthy has been out of the squad himself with injury and that leaves just George Long & Jamie Jones to cover.
Neither is really at the standard that you would want to face Arsenal and Long's appearance in the FA Cup against Leicester in a previous round is his only first team action in a year.
But elsewhere in the squad changes may well be made to conserve players for Tuesday's big clash.
In the defence with Stephens out we are stretched a little, James Bree & Ryan Manning look likely to have to play, any replacements for them are on the injury list, jelert, Roerslev & Welington have not been fit enough to be even on the bench for a while now.
In the centre it is two out of three in Nathan Wood, Taylor Harwood-Bellis & Joshua Quarshie, I expect it to be the first two names here.
In the midfield we have more options, in the centre we have Cameron Bragg, Shea Charles, Caspar Jander & Oriol Romeu but out wide, Tom Fellows & Sam Edozie seem to be the only orthodox wingers available, although Cameron Archer could come in out wide.
Up front I expect Kyle Larin to start.
Ideally we would be going into this game with all guns blazing knowing that our next game was a week away against mid table opposition, but we are seeing FA Cup quarter finals over the easter weekend, once again it is a case of the Premier League taking priority, their clubs do not play this weekend, whereas Championship clubs have to play twice over this weekend.
Yes I know Arsenal are playing the same amount of games as us due to the Champions League, but they have the squad to handle this with ease, yet another case of the FA Cup being devalued to cater for the big boys.
On the bright side though I think VAR may be available !
This is going to be a tough game for Saints from several angles, but perhaps it is not an issue in the fact that we are expected to lose, so we have nothing to lose, if that makes sense.
In other words a free hit, if we were to gain a surprising win against Arsenal reserves then all well and good, off to Wembley we go, but if we were to lose what difference does it make, it is the Wrexham game that counts a lot more.
So the only real aims for tonight are to get through it without any major injuries and to not get slaughtered.
If we leave St Mary's tonight having put up a good fight and lost, as long as we haven't had any injuries then this has been a good cup run, it was always going to be hard to honour the heroes of 1976 by winning the competition again, but reaching the quarter finals has been a fitting tribute and kept the celebrations for the 50th anniversary in the public eye.
I would love to make the semi finals, but in the grand scheme of things our destiny this season lies more in a three sided stadium in North Wales than the vast expanses of Wembley.
All Photos Via Reuters
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