Southampton vs Arsenal LIVE
Arsenal are out of the FA Cup after losing to Championship side Southampton in the quarter-final. The Gunners came into the game still smarting from defeat in the Carabao Cup final to Manchester City last time out, a result that ended their hopes of an unprecedented quadruple.
Now, the best they can hope for is a Premier League and Champions League double after conceding a late goal to Shea Charles at St Mary’s on Saturday night. Viktor Gyokeres had made an immediate impact off the bench to equalise after Ross Stewart had broken the deadlock in the first half, but in truth, the Saints were well worth their win as they look ahead to a trip to Wembley Stadium later this month,
In the other quarter-finals, Chelsea thrashed Port Vale at Stamford Bridge while Liverpool were dumped out in convincing fashion by Man City. Leeds United travel to West Ham United on Sunday to determine the last FA Cup semi-finalist.Follow the game back below with our dedicated match blog, featuring expert insight and analysis from Matt Verri!
Southampton vs Arsenal highlights
- GOAL! Charles restores Southampton's lead with five minutes left
- GOAL! Gyokeres equalises for Arsenal
- GOAL! Stewart fires Southampton in front
Fan reaction: Arsenal concern
22:17 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneIm getting worried now #SOUARS
— we good (@Arsemicke) April 4, 2026
FULL-TIME
21:55 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneSouthampton 2-1 Arsenal
ARSENAL KNOCKED OUT OF THE FA CUP
Southampton 2-1 Arsenal
21:54 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne90+7 min: One last change for Southampton as Manning goes off.
Southampton 2-1 Arsenal
21:52 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne90+4 min: Ball falls to Calafiori at the edge of the box and he fires over.
Southampton 2-1 Arsenal
21:49 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne90+2 min: Good run from Martinelli and he tries to guide the ball into the bottom corner but his effort is saved before Madueke makes a complete mess of his effort on the opposite side.
Southampton 2-1 Arsenal
21:48 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne90 min: SIX minutes of added time as Gyokeres strikes a free-kick right into the Southampton wall.
Southampton 2-1 Arsenal
21:47 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne89 min: Jander booked for halting a positive run from Dowman.
GOAL! Southampton 2-1 Arsenal | Shea Charles ‘85
21:43 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne85 min: SOUTHAMPTON LEAD AGAIN!
Shea Charles puts Southampton back in front five minutes from time with a cool finish.
Matt Verri at St Mary's
21:42 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneArsenal completely on top now. Dowman and Martinelli both go close to putting them in front. Arteta as animated as he's been all match - he knows this is there to be won without going to extra-time.
Southampton 1-1 Arsenal
21:41 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne84 min: Dowman looks like he’s about to curl Arsenal in front but Peretz pulls off a good save. Corner will allow the Gunners to keep the pressure on and the short corner is worked well to Martinelli but the Brazilian drags an effort wide.
Southampton 1-1 Arsenal
21:39 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne82 min: Less than ten minutes for either side to find a winner otherwise extra-time will decide the third FA Cup semi-finalists.
Southampton 1-1 Arsenal
21:36 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne78 min: No complete rest for Zubimendi tonight, he’s on to replace Havertz.
Southampton 1-1 Arsenal
21:35 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne77 min: Not a good sight for Arsenal as Gabriel’s knee is strapped up as he sits on the bench. Sporting away in the Champions League is coming up on Tuesday night.
Southampton 1-1 Arsenal
21:33 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne75 min: Bragg is replaced by Charles in Southampton’s latest change.
Southampton 1-1 Arsenal
21:32 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne74 min: Not the most convincing goalkeeping from Kepa but he does enough to deal with a Southampton corner.
Matt Verri at St Mary's
21:30 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneThat's a major concern for Arsenal. Gabriel has gone down and it looks to be his left knee that is the problem.
Saliba coming on to replace him - Gabriel about to walk off and applaud the fans on his way so hopefully not too serious an issue.
Southampton 1-1 Arsenal
21:28 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne70 min: Stewart and Scienza make way for Larin and Edozie in a double Southampton change.
Concern for Arsenal as Gabriel is down and it would appear he needs to come off.
Matt Verri at St Mary's
21:26 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneIt does work! Great ball from Gabriel to play Havertz in behind and Gyokeres is there to find the empty net.
Arsenal have had some sort of presence up front for seven minutes and it's delivered the equaliser.
GOAL! Southampton 1-1 Arsenal | Viktor Gyokeres ‘68
21:26 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne68 min: ARSENAL LEVEL!
Viktor Gyokeres equalises for Arsenal as he finishes off Kai Havertz's cut-back.
Gabriel with a fine pass to the German in the build-up.
Southampton 1-0 Arsenal
21:24 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne66 min: Decent opening for Arsenal comes to nothing as Dowman pounces on a loose pass but opts to check back in an attempt to find Gyokeres, wrong choice and Southampton are able to clear.
Matt Verri at St Mary's
21:22 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneArteta's taken his coat off. Worked last time so worth another go - nothing else looks like coming off for Arsenal.
Southampton 1-0 Arsenal
21:19 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne61 min: CROSSBAR!
Southampton are oh so close to doubling their lead as Scienza’s effort beats Kepa but crashes against the woodwork.
Matt Verri at St Mary's
21:18 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneArsenal are getting worse if anything. Mosquera now with an awful pass under no pressure, straight to Fellows. He should probably make it 2-0. Gyokeres, Calafiori and Madueke on to try and get Arsenal out of this mess.
Southampton 1-0 Arsenal
21:17 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne60 min: Mosquera sells Gabriel short with a pass and Fellows pounces but shoots over.
Arteta responds with three changes as Gyokeres, Calafiori and Madueke replace Odegaard, Lewis-Skelly and Jesus.
Southampton 1-0 Arsenal
21:15 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne58 min: The Southampton corner is played short and Scienza puts in a dangerous cross which Gabriel does very well to defend before Mosquera gets to the ball before Stewart.
Southampton 1-0 Arsenal
21:14 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne56 min: Southampton do well to win the ball back in midfield and they break at speed but Gabriel comes across to concede a corner which Scienza will take.
Matt Verri at St Mary's
21:12 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneArteta trying to stay positive with his body language. Lewis-Skelly boots a pass straight out and Arteta applauds it, sprinting after the ball and urging his players on. Not been a lot that will impress him since half-time, though.
Southampton 1-0 Arsenal
21:11 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne54 min: Lewis-Skelly does well to evade one challenge but then smacks the ball out of play in the very next action. Before that, Martinelli had come close but was snuffeed out.
Southampton 1-0 Arsenal
21:10 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne53 min: Manning with a really good block at the back post to stop Dowman from equalising. Equally impressive wing play from Martinelli to dig out a cross. Arsenal have a corner.
Southampton 1-0 Arsenal
21:08 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne50 min: Free-kick to Arsenal in a dangerous position after Fellows clips Lewis-Skelly. Odgeaard looks for Jesus who gets too much on the flick on and the ball sails into the arms of Peretz.
Southampton 1-0 Arsenal
21:05 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne48 min: No changes for Arsenal at the break, the likes of Noni Madueke, Viktor Gyokeres and Martin Zubimendi on the bench.
White brings down Scienza but escapes a booking.
KICK-OFF!
21:02 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneBack underway at St Mary's!
A huge 45 minutes for Arsenal as they fight to keep their treble dreams alive.
For Southampton, their fans will be hoping for more of the same.
Southampton vs Arsenal live
21:00 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneHere’s a look at the only goal of the game so far, listen to the noise inside St Mary’s!
Stewart gives Southampton the lead as St Mary’s erupts 🔥
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 4, 2026
Watch live on TNT Sports and HBO Max pic.twitter.com/oVONUNOmtl
Fan reaction: Arsenal need something different
20:56 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneSub off the whole team🤬 #SOUARS
— thechinedude (@thechinedude) April 4, 2026
Fan reaction: Dowman the best of a bad bunch
20:53 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneDowman has been our best player and hes been 5/10.#SOUARS
— just me (@theproperKP) April 4, 2026
Fan thoughts: Triple change
20:50 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneGyokeres, Calafiori and Raya on please. #Arsenal #SOUARS
— cholee (@chloesmeeth) April 4, 2026
HALF-TIME!
20:47 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneSouthampton 1-0 Arsenal
Southampton 1-0 Arsenal
20:46 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne45 min: Into one additional minute as Norgaard has a shot saved.
Southampton 1-0 Arsenal
20:44 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne42 min: Arsenal having to dig in as Southampton are placing them under serious pressure in search of a second goal before the break.
Gunners able to put a foot on the ball to take the sting out of the game but Dowman’s attempted pass to White is cut out.
Southampton 1-0 Arsenal
20:39 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne39 min: Harwood-Bellis is inches away from getting on the end of a cross and causing problems for Arsenal.
Southampton 1-0 Arsenal
20:38 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneArsenal utterly dominant but once again Southampton find it far too easy to counter. Even that shouldn't matter, but White badly misjudges the cross and Stewart is waiting behind him to slam home the finish. Now we've got a cup tie.
GOAL! Southampton 1-0 Arsenal | Ross Stewart ‘35
20:37 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne35 min: SOUTHAMPTON LEAD!
Sloppy from Odegaard, Southampton break, White misjudges the flight of the cross and Stewart slams the ball past Kepa.
Southampton 0-0 Arsenal
20:34 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne33 min: Long ball causes trouble for Arsenal again and White nearly sells Kepa short with a back pass but the Spaniard gets to the ball first and makes the clearance.
Matt Verri at St Mary's
20:32 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneArsenal are going short with pretty much every corner, which is unusual for them. Space is there every time, particularly for Martinelli who is waiting for it on the edge of the area. Arsenal need to make more of that.
Southampton 0-0 Arsenal
20:31 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne31 min: Another corner for Arsenal as Havertz’s shot from range takes a deflection off Wood.
Southampton 0-0 Arsenal
20:30 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne29 min: Dowman tricks his way through and has a shot at goal but Peretz is equal to it and Arsenal win yet another corner.
Taken short before the attack breaks down with Jesus following a heavy first touch.
Matt Verri at St Mary's
20:28 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneFelt like about three minutes of constant Arsenal attacks there. Odegaard was at the centre of it and he should have been at the end of it. Had to score from there, but he completely scuffed it.
Arsenal have stepped it up and Southampton are struggling. Frustration shows from Manning who wipes Dowman out with an awful challenge.
Southampton 0-0 Arsenal
20:27 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne26 min: Poor tackle from Manning on Dowman and that earns him a booking.
Southampton 0-0 Arsenal
20:26 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne25 min: The lack of right-footers in this Arsenal team just cost them there as they just couldn’t find a way through before Odegaard has a shot beaten away and then Dowman’s superb cross is cleared.
Gunners well on top now and they should be ahead by Odegaard mis-kicks at the vital time. Scuffed effort that goes wide.
Southampton 0-0 Arsenal
20:24 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne23 min: White’s cross is charged down by Scienza and is claiming handball which is being looked at by VAR. No penalty, corner instead.
Southampton 0-0 Arsenal
20:21 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne21 min: Good defending from Manning as he shows Dowman down the line and then ushers the Arsenal youngster out of play.
Matt Verri at St Mary's
20:20 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneA mess from Gabriel, who just flicked it on to send Scienza clean through. Not great from Kepa either - the goalkeeper literally just sat down.
But brilliant from Mosquera to have the speed to get back and then to make the interception. Saved Arsenal a goal.
Southampton 0-0 Arsenal
20:19 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne18 min: Huge let-off for Arsenal as Gabriel misjudges a header and Scienza is put clean through but the Southampton man hesitates as he rounds Kepa which allows Mosquera to get back in time.
Southampton 0-0 Arsenal
20:17 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne16 min: Corners beginning to rack up the corners as Havertz wins another one. Taken short, but no Arsenal player can make clean contact with the ball before Jesus floats a cross out of play.
Matt Verri at St Mary's
20:15 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneTwo or three times already Arteta has had to frantically wave at his players to run back as Southampton break. Arsenal unusually slow to get back into position so far, very open.
Southampton 0-0 Arsenal
20:14 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne13 min: Stewart does well to beat Gabriel to the ball, he holds it up and picks out Azaz with a fine pass but the Saints star can’t bring it under control and Dowman nips in to make the clearance.
Southampton 0-0 Arsenal
20:11 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne10 min: Superb pass from Odegaard to find Martinelli in space, the Brazilian cuts inside and has a shot which is deflected behind for a corner which the Arsenal captain will come over to take.
It’s played short to Martinelli and he catches the shot perfectly but Harwood-Bellis stops a certain goal.
Southampton 0-0 Arsenal
20:09 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne8 min: More good defending from Gabriel as he blocks a shot from Fellows. Not sure where Lewis-Skelly was, certainly out of position and has his team-mate to thank for bailing him out.
Southampton 0-0 Arsenal
20:07 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne6 min: First chance for Dowman to show what he’s capable of. It’s a good driving run from the teenager but he doesn’t get hold of his shot and Peretz makes a very comfortable save down low.
Matt Verri at St Mary's
20:05 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneGabriel getting involved in this atmosphere. Roars in Fellows' face after sliding in on him inside a minute, and then he has a few words for Scienza after he went down very easily in the box.
It's absolutely frantic early on.
Southampton 0-0 Arsenal
20:04 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne3 min: Scienza cuts inside Gabriel and goes down in the box asking for a penalty but those appeals are waved away.
Matt Verri at St Mary's
20:02 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneYour friend and mine Mark Dennis is back, just after a pyrotechnics display that I assume he was also responsible for setting off.
He's singing, or screaming, along to When the Saints. To be fair to him and all those inside St Mary's, it is absolutely bouncing.
Arsenal need to start well because this could become very tricky very quickly.
KICK-OFF!
20:01 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneAway we go in the FA Cup quarter-final!
Southampton kit
19:59 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneSouthampton will once again be donning their special edition commemorative yellow and blue kit, celebrating 50 years since the iconic 1976 FA Cup final victory.
Dressed with the names of our 1976 @EmiratesFACup heroes on our chests 💛 pic.twitter.com/X1rAIXm6Vd
— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) April 4, 2026
Arsenal injury update
19:57 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneMikel Arteta says Bukayo Saka, Jurrien Timber, Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard were "close" to making the Arsenal squad tonight.
HERE WE GO!
19:56 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneThe teams are out at St Mary’s.
Kick-off is next.
Last time out (in the FA Cup)
19:55 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneKWP 🤝 Gabriel 😅
— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) April 4, 2026
⏮️ Arsenal (h), January 2021 pic.twitter.com/uoSpvSAx3i
Around the grounds
19:50 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneManchester City 4-0 Liverpool
Chelsea 7-0 Port Vale
Matt Verri at St Mary's
19:48 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneFormer Southampton player Mark Dennis has got the mic ahead of kick-off and he's in full rallying cry mode.
"All the pressure's on them. Nobody fancies us but I fancy us... let's get into them early."
Arsenal fans have a few chants in response for him. It's bringing back strong memories of Tottenham's stadium announcer declaring Arsenal were "nervous as hell" before the north London derby.
The Gunners then won that 4-1.
Kick-off approaching in FA Cup showdown
19:45 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne15 minutes to go until kick-off at St Mary's.
Last time out
19:40 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneA ruthless Odegaard finish to sink the Saints 😮💨
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) April 4, 2026
The last time we faced tonight's opposition...
🤝 @Bitpanda_global pic.twitter.com/Tl4wqucakD
Matt Verri at St Mary's
19:35 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneNo such thing as a true rest for Zubimendi this season. He's on the bench tonight but he's been called into the warm-up with the starting lineup to provide an extra man for the passing drills.
Even in the pre-match fun he's asked to be everywhere.
Team news reminder
19:30 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneHere is how both teams will line-up today.
Southampton XI: Peretz, Bree, Harwood-Bellis, Wood, Manning, Bragg, Jander, Fellows, Azaz, Scienza, Stewart
Substitutes: Long, Quarshie, Romeu, Charles, Edozie, Robinson, Archer, Oyekunle, Larin.
Arsenal XI: Arrizabalaga, White, Mosquera, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly, Norgaard, Odegaard, Havertz, Dowman, Martinelli, Jesus
Substitutes: Raya, Saliba, Gyokeres, Madueke, Calafiori, Zubimendi, Harriman-Annous, O’Neill, Salmon
Fan reaction: No Rice
19:29 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneRice is not fixed yet #SOUARS
— mikeymike2711 (@mikeymike2711) April 4, 2026
Fan thoughts: Mixed views on Lewis-Skelly
19:27 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneHappy to see Lewis-Skelly getting a start.
— Christopher Jones (@quatermass_pitt) April 4, 2026
Disappointed at what position he happens to be starting in. #SOUARS
Fan reaction: Dowman starts
19:26 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneBrave team selection from Mikel, great to see Max starting #COYG #SOUARS
— 🔴Stansted Steve⚪️ (@StanstedSteve65) April 4, 2026
Southampton team in full
19:25 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneSouthampton XI: Peretz, Bree, Harwood-Bellis, Wood, Manning, Bragg, Jander, Fellows, Azaz, Scienza, Stewart
Substitutes: Long, Quarshie, Romeu, Charles, Edozie, Robinson, Archer, Oyekunle, Larin.
Arsenal team in full
19:22 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneArsenal XI: Arrizabalaga, White, Mosquera, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly, Norgaard, Odegaard, Havertz, Dowman, Martinelli, Jesus
Substitutes: Raya, Saliba, Gyokeres, Madueke, Calafiori, Zubimendi, Harriman-Annous, O’Neill, Salmon
Matt Verri at St Mary's
19:20 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneIn position for us at the ground is Matt Verri and he has delivered his verdict on the Arsenal team news.
🗣 "Fair few of those who did withdraw from international duty are not involved.
— Standard Sport (@standardsport) April 4, 2026
"Surprised to see Noni Madueke on the bench."@MattVerri gives his thoughts on the #AFC team news!
LIVE: https://t.co/bdU1KtfTty#SOUARS | #EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/Oxh3Y7NDSk
Arsenal changes
19:15 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneIt is seven changes to the side that started the Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester City.
Martin Odegaard, Cristhian Mosquera, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Christian Norgaard, Max Dowman, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus all come in.
Jurrien Timber, Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi are not involved at all.
Matt Verri at St Mary's
19:10 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneArteta said yesterday Madueke would be out for a matter of days - he hasn't missed a single match.
Fit enough to make the bench despite the injury he picked up on international duty.
As for the starting lineup, really big for Arsenal to have Odegaard back and a chance for Dowman to potentially steal the show again on the right wing.
CONFIRMED SOUTHAMPTON TEAM NEWS
19:05 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneLining up for the home side this evening...
The Saints to take on Arsenal. 🟡 pic.twitter.com/V1XIBGFiUQ
— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) April 4, 2026
CONFIRMED ARSENAL TEAM NEWS
19:00 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneHere is the Arsenal team selected by Mikel Arteta...
🔴 𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠𝙉𝙀𝙒𝙎 ⚪️
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) April 4, 2026
🧱 Mosquera at the back
🔙 Odegaard returns
⚡️ Jesus leads the line
Let's book our spot in the semis, Gunners 👊
🤝 Presented by @deel
Southampton live - team news imminent
18:55 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneThe teams will be announced shortly!
Stay tuned...
Lucky Arsenal omen?
18:50 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneThis will be Arsenal's sixth FA Cup tie against Southampton and they won each of the first four en route to lifting the trophy in 1926-27, 1978-79, 2002-03, and 2016-17.
However, the Saints won the last FA Cup meeting 1-0 in the 2020-21 fourth round.
Arsenal stars arrive
18:49 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneNoni Madueke, Martin Odegaard and Myles Lewis-Skelly have all arrived with the Arsenal squad.
Southampton route
18:45 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneDoncaster 2-3 Southampton
Southampton 2-1 Leicester - AET
Fulham 0-1 Southampton
Arsenal's route
18:40 , Tashan Deniran-AlleynePortsmouth 1-4 Arsenal
Arsenal 4-0 Wigan
Mansfield 1-2 Arsenal
New Arsenal selection hint for FA Cup quarter-final clash
18:35 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneMikel Arteta has insisted that Kepa Arrizabalaga's error in Arsenal's Carabao Cup final defeat will have no bearing on his selection decisions moving forward.
Kepa was trusted to start at Wembley against Manchester City ahead of usual No1 David Raya but that call from Arteta backfired.
The 31-year-old let a cross squirm through his hands to gift Nico O'Reilly the opener and City never looked like surrendering that lead.
Kepa has started in every round of the FA Cup so far this term and Arteta was adamant that the Carabao Cup final mistake will not be held against him.
Arsenal fired warning for Southampton showdown
18:30 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneArsenal have been warned that Southampton have found a “couple” of areas where they can “hurt them” in this weekend’s FA Cup quarter-final tie.
The in-form Saints are huge underdogs heading into tonight’s showdown at St Mary’s in a clash that pits Championship play-off hopefuls against the current Premier League leaders.
And while Southampton boss Tonda Eckert was quick to shower Arsenal with praise, he believes he has identified more than one weakness that could be exploited by his team on the south coast.
When is the FA Cup semi-final draw?
18:25 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneThe FA Cup semi-final draw takes place this weekend after all four quarter-final ties have been played.
One giant has already fallen with Manchester City thumping Liverpool 4-0 at the Etihad Stadium earlier today.
Arsenal will hope for a smooth passage into the last four by beating Southampton.
West Ham are gunning for their first semi-final berth in 20 years, but face a tricky test against Leeds ahead of the draw.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the FA Cup semi-final draw...
Southampton tifo
18:20 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneA special tifo is planned for this evening’s game, courtesy of Midnite, Southampton’s kit partner.
It will commemorate Southampton’s 1976 FA Cup win, coming half a century ago in what was one of the biggest shocks in the competition’s history, with Manchester United beaten 1-0 at Wembley.
A huge 1250-square metre design will feature Wembley heroes Peter Rodrigues, Paul Gilchrist, Mel Blyth and David Peach.
Predicted Arsenal XI
18:15 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneMartin Odegaard could make his Arsenal return for the FA Cup trip to Southampton, with Max Dowman also in line to start.
The Gunners face the Championship side with a place in the semi-finals up for grabs, and a swift return to Wembley, on the line.
Odegaard has not played since February 22 due to a knee injury but has overcome that and is expected to be in the squad at St Mary's.
Mikel Arteta confirmed that Jurrien Timber, who has missed the last two matches with a groin injury, could also be back.
Predicted Arsenal XI: Kepa; White, Mosquera, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Norgaard, Odegaard, Havertz; Dowman, Jesus, Martinelli.
Arsenal fuelled by Wembley pain as FA Cup takes on added significance
18:10 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneThe international break came straight off the back of Arsenal's Carabao Cup final defeat by Manchester City at Wembley.
For probably the first time this season, the Gunners were comfortably second-best and deserved to be beaten.
It was a painfully flat performance, particularly in the second half, and the early days of the international break were full of regret for Mikel Arteta.
Today's settings
18:05 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneIt's a familiar setting for Arsenal tonight having played at St Mary's numerous times, most recently on the final day of last season when goals from Kieran Tierney and Martin Odegaard sealed a 2-1 win.
Southampton vs Arsenal latest match odds
18:00 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneSouthampton to progress: 7/2
Arsenal to progress: 1/6
Odds via Betfair (subject to change).
Head to head (h2h) history and results
17:55 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneArsenal thumped Southampton 5-0 in January 2017 en route to lifting the FA Cup that season, but suffered a 1-0 loss at St Mary’s the last time the two teams met in the competition five years ago.
Southampton wins: 33
Arsenal wins: 55
Draws: 30
Score prediction
17:50 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneThis will be a lot trickier than many expect as Southampton are in very good form and have nothing to lose which makes them a dangerous opponent.
However, with a Championship play-off spot very much achievable, perhaps the Saints may prioritise promotion back to the Premier League over a cup semi-final.
Arsenal, though, should have enough to overcome Southampton and continue their quest for trophies. We expect the visitors to get the job done and rather comfortably.
Arsenal to win, 3-1.
Southampton team news
17:45 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneThe hosts have been hit with a double blow with Flynn Downes and Kuryu Matsuki unavailable due to suspension after receiving their second yellow cards in the competition against Fulham last time out.
Jack Stephens is a doubt after suffering a training ground injury earlier in the week and Leo Scienza is making good progress in his recovery from a groin problem.
Arsenal team news: Odegaard and Timber to return
17:40 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneMikel Arteta was in a typically unhelpful mood at his pre-match press conference, though he confirmed that Noni Madueke and Piero Hincapie were out.
William Saliba, Gabriel, Leandro Trossard, Martin Odegaard and Jurrien Timber are expected to be fit for the trip to St Mary’s.
Mikel Merino is definitely ruled out, while Arteta has a big decision to make in goal after Kepa Arrizabalaga was criticised for his mistake in the cup final defeat to Man City.
Click here to read the full blog on The The Standard's website
