EFL Cup Final shows Southampton how to beat Arsenal in FA Cup

Arsenal’s Carabao Cup Final defeat to Manchester City shows Southampton the winning way against the Gunners in their upcoming FA Cup tie.

Southampton’s inaugural matchday after the March international break sees them hosting Premier League favourites, Arsenal. While the Saints enter the FA Cup tie as underdogs, they may have found a way to get the better of the Gunners in this crucial knockout.

In recent Championship games, Southampton’s approach has combined attacking intent with defensive caution. If the Saints concede a few chances, they trust Daniel Peretz to handle whatever comes his way.

While it sounds fairly simple, this very strategy could be the key to beating Arsenal at St. Mary’s.

That’s because goalkeeping is probably the only area where Southampton can claim an edge over Arsenal. While this may not hold against David Raya, the Saints will back Daniel Peretz to come out on top against Arsenal’s cup keeper, Kepa Arrizabalaga.

It comes after Arsenal’s backup goalkeeper endured a nightmare performance in their 2‑0 EFL Cup final defeat to Manchester City. Even though Gunners as a whole looked well off their usual level, Kepa Arrizabalaga stood central to their Wembley defeat.

Kepa Arrizabalaga’s disastrous display in EFL Cup Final

Arrizabalaga has been Arsenal’s backup keeper all season. If that alone didn’t point to a lack of game rhythm, his Carabao Cup final performance confirmed it.

Despite being a two-time Champions League winner, Kepa made rookie-level mistakes. While every moment counts on the big stage, Arrizabalaga made as many as three blunders in the Wembley Cup Final.

First, Kepa committed a basic positional error by misjudging Matheus Nunes’s diagonal long ball to Doku in the second half. Having strayed far from his goal to the edge of the box, he was forced to pull Doku’s shirt to stop him from scoring.

Though Kepa escaped a red card, a booking for this challenge set the tone for a forgettable performance.

Within the next ten minutes, Kepa Arrizabalaga pulled a howler. The goalkeeper fumbled what should have been a routine catch from Ryan Cheriki’s cross. With Nico O’Reilly lurking in front of goal, he headed into an empty net to give Man City the 1-0 lead.

Moments later, Kepa was sent the wrong way by Nico O’Reilly’s header. While he wasn’t alone to blame for the 0-2 goal, Arsenal fans would have expected sharper reflexes and better positioning from their keeper on the big stage.

Southampton must exploit Kepa Arrizabalaga’s presence in goal

Even though Mikel Arteta might want to avoid playing Kepa Arrizabalaga against Southampton, Arsenal’s hectic schedule with upcoming UCL quarter-finals might see Kepa starting again. If Kepa starts, Southampton will know exactly where to aim.

While Saints forward Ross Stewart has barely returned from injury, his heading capabilities would come in handy against Arsenal. His presence in rotation with Cyle Larin could trouble Kepa in the FA Cup tie.

It’s evident from Arsenal’s Carabao Cup Final against Man City that positioning isn’t Kepa’s strength. If Southampton deliver well‑targeted set‑pieces or corners, the presence of players like Stewart and Harwood-Bellis can put pressure on Arsenal.

The fact that Southampton keeper Daniel Peretz is in blistering form further plays in the club’s favour.

Notably, Southampton’s last two FA Cup games have both been level until the regular 90 minutes. If the upcoming game against Arsenal follows suit and goes on to extra time and then penalties, Southampton can realistically cause an upset over the Gunners.

Arsenal’s treble hopes are on the line in this FA Cup tie. If the game goes to penalties, the pressure will be immense, and Daniel Peretz’s cat‑like reflexes will only add to it. A couple of saves, and Southampton could be the ones moving through.