Southampton vs. Arsenal: Redemption on Offer for Both Sides | OneFootball

Arsenal have had a little time to sit with the disappointment of their Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester City. A two-match international break, involving much of their squad, has at least given Mikel Arteta and his players a chance to reset before attention turns back to domestic football.

Arsenal: Reset, Regroup, Respond

The FA Cup now offers an immediate opportunity to respond and a quarter-final trip to Southampton comes with a clear reward. Win, and Arsenal are back at Wembley.

For a club with such a strong history in the competition, that still carries weight. Arsenal remain the most successful side in FA Cup history and Arteta has already delivered the trophy once, winning it in 2020 during his first half-season in charge. He has made clear there is no question of easing off.

“We are in a position right now that we are going to make the strongest line-ups and decisions that we possibly can to win every competition,” he said. “We are two or three games away in the FA Cup, and now we know how important that competition is for us. The FA Cup is a huge competition. It’s so related to the history of our football club.”

The issue for Arteta is how he manages what is left of his squad. More than a starting XI could be unavailable through injury. He has already confirmed that Noni Madueke, Eberechi Eze and Piero Hincapié will miss out. With a Champions League quarter-final in Lisbon to follow in midweek, there is little room for further setbacks.

That may open the door for some of the younger players. Max Dowman and Myles Lewis-Skelly have both been around the first team and this feels like the kind of game where they could be involved. Arsenal lacked a bit of sharpness at Wembley and a slight refresh would make sense.

Don’t Write Off the Saints

Southampton arrive in good shape. Promotion remains their priority but their form under Tonda Eckert has been strong. Since he took charge, only Coventry have picked up more points in the Championship, while Southampton are the top scorers in that period. It has been an impressive rise for a coach who came into the job without previous managerial experience in English football.

There is also a sense of occasion. This season marks 50 years since Southampton’s only FA Cup win, when they beat Manchester United in the 1976 final, and they will wear yellow to mark the anniversary. A run to Wembley would be a bonus, but they have already beaten Fulham and have the chance to take another Premier League scalp.

The history between the clubs leans in Arsenal’s favour. This is the sixth FA Cup meeting between them and Arsenal progressed from each of the first four, including wins in 1979 and 2003. Southampton did win the most recent tie, though, a 1-0 victory in 2021, which is enough to keep this from feeling routine.

That Ol’ FA Cup Magic

Arteta pointed to that unpredictability when looking ahead.

“That’s the magic of the FA Cup, that every scenario, every context, every game has a history, and this one is a special one, and we are ready to face it.”

Arsenal will expect to come through it, but recent experience is a reminder that expectation does not always count for much in this competition.