Southampton vs. Arsenal—FA Cup Quarterfinal: Preview, Predictions and Lineups

Keen to put a woeful Carabao Cup final defeat behind them, Arsenal return from the international break to face Southampton in an FA Cup quarterfinal tie.

The Gunners’ optimistic quadruple ambitions were dashed by a couple of Nico O’Reilly headers at Wembley, as Manchester City produced a vintage 20-minute sequence at the start of the second half to sink a flat Arsenal team.

The nature of their defeat has fueled talk of a potential late-season wobble, but Arsenal have a pair of fixtures to navigate before they’re back in Premier League action. After Saturday night’s domestic cup tie, the Gunners travel to Sporting CP for the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal.

An apparent injury crisis has ramped up the difficulty of their trip to the south coast, with Southampton flying high in the Championship under Tonda Eckert. A 14-game unbeaten run across all competitions has seen the Saints climb up into a playoff position in the second tier.

Southampton vs. Arsenal Score Prediction

Gunners Bounce Back at St. Mary’s

Eberechi Eze, Max Dowman — Arsenal have had the chance to reset. | Alex Burstow/Arsenal FC/Getty Images

To allay fears of a late-season demise, it’s imperative that Arsenal avoid an upset. Anything but an away win on Saturday will further ignite speculation that their 2025–26 campaign will end on the sourest of notes.

Southampton have yo-yoed as of late, but faced off against the Gunners in the top flight less than a year ago. They were doomed under Will Still, but Eckert has got the Saints playing again. The nature of their victory at Craven Cottage in the previous round should inspire confidence, even if Arsenal are a considerable step up from Fulham.

The hosts have reached the FA Cup semifinals twice since 2018.

Head-to-Head Record: Arsenal have historically dominated this fixture. Southampton may have picked up a couple of 1–0 wins over the Gunners in recent times, and also hindered their title tilt by drawing 3–3 at the Emirates Stadium in April 2023, but the north Londoners have lost just three of the previous 17 meetings and won nine.
International Break Reset: The break arrived at a great time for Arsenal, off the back of the Carabao Cup final, with time spent with the national teams allowing players to switch off and almost forget about the events at Wembley. While there are injuries to worry about, this Gunners outfit should return refocused for the upcoming tasks.
Saints Keep it Close: The Premier League leaders, given their injuries and Southampton’s form, are unlikely to blow the hosts away. Arsenal just don’t seem capable of thumping teams in their current state, with the Saints undoubtedly having a chance of stunning the visitors. They also haven’t tasted defeat since mid-January.

Prediction: Southampton 1–2 Arsenal

Southampton Predicted Lineup vs. Arsenal

Southampton lineup — The Saints are flying high entering this cup tie. | FotMob

Southampton aren’t entering the quarterfinal in the best of shape, having been set back by the suspensions of midfielders Flynn Downes and Kuryu Matsuki due to yellow card accumulation in this competition.

Captain Jack Stephens is set to miss out after picking up an injury in training, and Léo Scienza is still nursing a groin issue. Wellington and Jay Robinson are doubtful with muscle injuries, while Mads Roerslev is out for the season with a knee injury.

Few have batted an eyelid about Alex McCarthy’s absence between the posts, given the impact of Bayern Munich loanee Daniel Peretz.

Southampton predicted lineup vs. Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Peretz; Bree, Wood, Harwood-Bellis, Manning; Jander, Romeu; Fellows, Azaz, Edozie; Stewart.

Arsenal Predicted Lineup vs. Southampton

Arsenal lineup — Arteta could be without a litany of players this weekend. | FotMob

There was a mass exodus of Arsenal players from the international scene over the past week, with a curious array (10 in total) of Mikel Arteta’s squad sustaining niggles and knocks that either meant they couldn’t join up with their national teams or were forced to withdraw early.

Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Ben White, William Saliba, Gabriel, Martín Zubimendi, Jurriën Timber, Noni Madueke, Leandro Trossard, Eberechi Eze and Piero Hincapié are all on the Gunners’ injury list heading into Saturday’s FA Cup tie.

There’s hope that Martin Ødegaard will be back in action this weekend after another spell on the sidelines, while Mikel Merino remains out with a foot injury. Eberechi Eze will miss much of April with a calf issue, and Jurriën Timber was absent from the Carabao Cup final.

Several of those with knocks should be fine to feature this weekend, and there should be a spot in the team for teenage sensation Max Dowman.

Arsenal predicted lineup vs. Southampton (4-2-3-1): Kepa; Mosquera, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Nørgaard, Lewis-Skelly; Dowman, Havertz, Martinelli; Jesus.

What Time Does Southampton vs. Arsenal Kick Off?

Location: Southampton, England
Stadium: St. Mary’s Stadium
Date: Saturday, April 4
Kick-off Time: 8 p.m. GMT / 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT
Referee: Sam Barrott
VAR: James Bell

How to Watch Southampton vs. Arsenal on TV, Live Stream

Country	TV Channel/Live Stream
United States	ESPN Select, fuboTV, ESPN App
United Kingdom	BBC Sport Web, BBC One, TNT Sports 1, BBC iPlayer, TNT Sports 5, TNT Sports Ultimate, HBO Max
Canada	Sportsnet World, Sportsnet Plus, Sportsnet 360
Mexico	FOX One

MORE: Full list of FA Cup broadcasters around the world