Southampton vs. Arsenal LIVE: Real-time updates from the FA Cup quarterfinal showdown
Quick Reads
- Arsenal travel to St. Mary’s Stadium in Southampton to face the Championship side in the FA Cup quarter-final on Saturday, April 4, 2026.
- The Gunners arrive as Premier League leaders, sitting nine points clear at the top of the table heading into the international break.
- Southampton have not lost in 14 matches across all competitions under manager Tonda Eckert and knocked out Premier League side Fulham in the fourth round.
- Arsenal suffered a 2-0 defeat to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley just before the break, making this tie a chance for redemption.
- The BBC will broadcast the match live in the UK, with coverage also available on ESPN+ in the United States and SuperSport across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Arsenal Chase Wembley Return Against In-Form Southampton in FA Cup Quarter-Final
Arsenal take on Championship side Southampton in the FA Cup quarter-final at St. Mary’s Stadium on Saturday evening, with a place in the last four and another trip to Wembley on the line for Mikel Arteta’s side.
Southampton vs Arsenal kicks off at 15:00 EST and 20:00 GMT at St. Mary’s Stadium. The winner earns a spot in Sunday’s semifinal draw, with Wembley Stadium hosting the last four in April.
Mikel Arteta and his Arsenal side blew a brilliant opportunity for silverware as they suffered a 2-0 loss to Manchester City at Wembley Stadium in the final of the Carabao Cup before the international break. That result stung a squad that arrived at this season hoping to compete on all fronts. With the Champions League quarterfinals also on the horizon, the FA Cup represents one of the two remaining routes to a trophy in 2025-26, and Arteta will not want to stumble here.
Arteta’s side arrive on the south coast in contention to win the treble, leading the Premier League by nine points. But this cup run demands a different kind of focus, and facing a Championship side firing on all cylinders is no easy assignment. Several Arsenal players withdrew from international duty before the match, including Eberechi Eze and Declan Rice, meaning Arteta may look to his wider squad for the cup clash.
Southampton’s story this season is one of genuine transformation. The Saints are pushing themselves into the top six and the playoff places in the Championship, under the management of Tonda Eckert, unbeaten in their last 14 matches across all competitions. From the chaos of relegation to a Championship side on a 14-game unbeaten run, this is a team that has rediscovered its belief. They already delivered an upset against a Premier League side this term, seeing off Fulham in a 1-0 away win in the fourth round of the FA Cup. Beating Arsenal at a sold-out St. Mary’s would be a different level of achievement entirely.
Finn Azaz has nine goals in all competitions for the Saints this term, their top scorer still in the squad after Adam Armstrong left for Wolves. He will be the danger man for Southampton, operating in the No. 10 role in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Ross Stewart leads the line up top and was the hero in the Fulham win.
Arsenal, for their part, line up with Kepa Arrizabalaga in goal, Cristhian Mosquera featuring at centre-back, and Martin Odegaard returning to captain the side in midfield. Arsenal have their own knocks to manage. Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke are sidelined, while several others pulled out of international duty but are expected to be available here, Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka among them. Gabriel Jesus starts up front with support from Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz, giving Arteta a frontline capable of breaking any defence down.
Numbers
Looking at the head-to-head record, Arsenal have had the upper hand historically, winning 21 of the 41 meetings compared to Southampton’s nine. The Gunners also came out on top in their last two clashes 3-1 in October 2024 and 2-1 in May 2025, though Southampton have shown they can make life difficult at St. Mary’s.
Southampton’s recent form in all competitions: W, W, W, D, W, scoring 7 goals and conceding just 2 across the last five outings. Arsenal’s recent form: L (Carabao Cup final vs Man City), W, W, D, W.
Southampton are missing several key names ahead of the tie. Summer signing Leo Scienza has impressed when fit, but he is still out, along with Welington, Mads Roerslev, and Jay Robinson. For Arsenal, Piero Hincapie and Eze remain sidelined.
The Gunners are available on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK. In South and Sub-Saharan Africa, the match is live on SuperSport.
