FA Cup hero issues Southampton rallying cry to break awful streak at Wrexham

Southampton’s FA Cup hero Ross Stewart urges his teammates not to let the hangover of an Arsenal win affect their winning momentum in the crucial playoff decider against Wrexham.

Southampton are back on the road after hosting Arsenal in the FA Cup quarter‑final. The venue and competition have changed, but the Saints will hope to carry the same winning momentum into their trip to North Wales to face Wrexham.

However, this is much easier said than done. While Southampton may have moved on from their Arsenal celebrations, they’ve been known to lose form when returning to league action.

Adding to the challenge, they enter the playoff decider less rested than Wrexham. That’s where FA Cup hero Ross Stewart has stepped in to urge his teammates to replicate the performance that helped them outplay Arsenal at home.

As quoted by the Daily Echo, Stewart mentioned: “We have to learn from that game at West Brom and realise there might have been a hangover there. It’s always tough to get back to the levels of Saturday.”

Ross Stewart added: “This is where we need the experienced boys to get the group together and realise that we need to treat every game the same as this one against Arsenal.”

Southampton need to break awful streak Vs Wrexham

Southampton have been the most in‑form Championship side recently. In fact, they are second only to Lincoln City for the longest active unbeaten streak across the EFL.

While this shows for the impressive turnaround Southampton has achieved under Tonda Eckert, there lies one crucial aspect where the Saints are yet to improve upon the Will Still era. It is moving on from the hangover of a solid Cup result only to drop points in the playoff race later.

Take Southampton’s FA Cup win over Doncaster in January. After comfortably beating the League One side, they couldn’t shake the hangover and lost 2‑1 to Hull in their next league game.

The same pattern followed their fourth‑round win over Leicester. Despite deserved credit for knocking out the Foxes, they followed it with a 1‑1 draw against lower mid‑table Championship side Charlton.

Remarkably, Southampton repeated the same mistake after their fifth‑round win over Fulham. After knocking out the Premier League side in a weekend showdown, they couldn’t shake the hangover in time for the midweek trip to West Brom.

The result saw them thanking Cyle Larin for saving the day with a late equaliser against the relegation‑threatened club.

Saints forward Ross Stewart has pinpointed this exact pattern as something that needs to change. Although the club is high-flying after defeating the mighty Arsenal, Southampton must reset in time to avoid dropping points against Wrexham in the playoff decider.

Ross Stewart will be crucial to Southampton’s hopes

An underrated factor in Southampton’s mid‑season turnaround has been their strikers trying and finishing whatever chances come their way. While winter addition Cyle Larin has proven a brilliant step in that direction, Ross Stewart’s contribution cannot be sidelined.

Having scored five goals since his return from injury, Stewart has been a man for big occasions. His goals against promotion contenders Hull City, plus two brilliant FA Cup finishes against Fulham and Arsenal, speak to his importance.

Stewart has efficiently spearheaded the Saints’ attack whenever tasked with the opportunity. Now, he’s expected to lead by example as he urges his teammates not to let the hangover from the Arsenal win affect them against Wrexham.

Notably, Ross Stewart is a pivotal figure in the dressing room apart from his sporting contribution. While still in the process of becoming a fan favourite, the 29‑year‑old is one of the senior mainstays in Tonda Eckert’s plans.

At 29, Stewart is more experienced than every Southampton player except captain Jack Stephens, striking partner Cyle Larin, and teammate Ryan Manning.

All of which calls for him to walk the talk with another big performance. While Cyle Larin is expected to get the go-ahead in the starting XI, fans will have hopes that Stewart can emerge as the clutch option if the situation demands it.