Arsenal, a club with a significant history in the FA Cup, faces second-tier Southampton in a quarter-final match on Saturday, April 4, 2026. The encounter, scheduled for an 8 PM BST (3 PM ET) kickoff at St Mary's Stadium, finds Arsenal aiming to keep their treble hopes alive following a recent defeat in the Carabao Cup final. However, the London club is reportedly grappling with numerous player fitness concerns in the wake of the international break, with a notable number of players having withdrawn from national duty.
Southampton, meanwhile, is highlighted as the form team in England, boasting an unbeaten streak of 14 matches across all competitions, 11 of which are wins. This run has been attributed to a turnaround under interim coach Tonda Eckert, who has since been given the permanent role.
TEAM NEWS AND ABSENCES
Arsenal's lineup appears poised for rotation, a strategy possibly influenced by an upcoming UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg against Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday. Specific concerns for Arsenal include doubts over Bukayo Saka, Martín Zubimendi, Piero Hincapié, Noni Madueke, Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Magalhães, William Saliba, Jurriën Timber, Martin Ødegaard, and Eberechi Eze. Declan Rice is noted as suspended, and Mikel Merino is out with a calf issue. Reports also suggest potential absences for Jurrien Timber and Gabriel Jesus due to injury. Some outlets suggest up to ten Arsenal players could be unavailable due to withdrawals from international duty.
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Southampton also faces selection considerations. Jack Stephens, Léo Scienza, Welington, Jay Robinson, and Mads Roerslev are listed as doubts. Flynn Downes and Kuryu Matsuki are marked as out due to suspension. Stuart Armstrong is also noted as a fitness concern.
MATCH DETAILS AND BROADCAST
The match will be broadcast live in the UK on TNT Sports. In the United States, it can be streamed via ESPN+. The BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website are also slated to provide live coverage in the UK. The referee for the fixture is Sam Barrott.
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PREVIOUS ENCOUNTERS AND PREDICTIONS
Historically, Arsenal has a stronger record in this fixture, with 55 wins to Southampton's 33. Betting odds suggest Arsenal is the favourite to progress at 1/6, while Southampton is at 4/1. Despite potential squad changes for Arsenal, many analyses suggest their "extra quality on the counter" and overall talent should be sufficient to overcome Southampton, though some anticipate a closer contest than many might expect.
BROADER CONTEXT
This FA Cup quarter-final takes place against a backdrop of Southampton's promotion push in the Championship, raising questions about whether the cup tie could serve as a distraction. Arsenal, meanwhile, seeks to salvage a treble after seeing their quadruple aspirations curtailed by a loss in the Carabao Cup final. Arsenal's pursuit continues their quest for a record-extending 15th FA Cup title, having reached the quarter-finals for the first time since the 2019-20 season. Southampton is the sole remaining Championship side in the competition.
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