Southampton v Arsenal FA Cup Preview
Arsenal will look to keep their hopes of winning the FA Cup for the third time in four seasons alive when they face Southampton in the FA Cup fourth round fixture at St Mary’s on Saturday evening.
The Gunners have reached 19 FA Cup finals, a joint record with Manchester United and have won 16 of their last 17 ties in the competition.
Southampton, who reached the EFL Cup final on Wednesday after beating Liverpool 2-0 on aggregate, have won their last three games in all competitions, without conceding.
Southampton will be without Virgil van Dijk, James Ward-Prowse and Jay Rodriguez.
Van Dijk, sustained an ankle injury last Sunday, and is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines after missing Saints’ EFL Cup win over Liverpool, while striker Rodriguez suffered a knock to his ankle at Anfield and was forced off at half-time.
Ward-Prowse also went off in the same game and the match against Arsenal comes too soon for the midfielder. Defender Florin Gardos is edging closer to a return to action after taking part in training this week but is still short of match fitness.
Charlie Austin, Alex McCarthy and Sofiane Boufal all remain injured.
Arsenal might do without Manager, Arsene Wenger after being handed 4 touchline bans and £25000 fine by the FA on Friday evening due to his conduct on the official in last weekend’s game against Burnley.
They welcome Theo Walcott back into their squad.
The England international has been struggling with a calf problem but is now fit to be in contention, while Per Mertesacker and Mathieu Debuchy with Knee and Hamstring Injuries have also returned to full training.
The Match Day manager is likely to rest two or three key players but is without Granit Xhaka, who starts a four-game ban following his red card against Burnley, as well as Mohamed Elneny (international duty), and Santi Cazorla (Achilles).
Key Opta stats:
Southampton could become the first team to knock Arsenal out of both domestic cups in the same season since Manchester United in 1982/83.
Arsenal have progressed from 16 of their 20 FA Cup fourth-round ties under Arsene Wenger, losing only to Leeds (1996/97), Leicester (1999/2000), Bolton (2005/06) and Stoke (2009/10).
Southampton have kept clean sheets in four of their last five games against Arsenal in all competitions.
The Gunners have won their last five away FA Cup matches in a row, they have nevervwon six consecutively in the competition’s history.
This is the first FA Cup meeting between Arsenal and Southampton since the 2003 final, which the Gunners won 1-0 courtesy of a Robert Pires goal.
Southampton have never beaten Arsenal in an FA Cup tie (semi-final in 1926/27, sixth Round in 1978/79 and the final in 2002/03).
After losing back-to-back games against Everton and Man City, the Gunners have gone six games unbeaten in all competitions (W5 D1).
Arsenal could be out of another cup competition losing to the same team who knocked them out of the EFL Cup, due to the Saints’ recent form, but have a decent team to handle this match even without their manager, Arsene Wenger.
PREDICTION: SOUTHAMPTON 2-1 ARSENAL
By: Dehinbo Timothy
