Football is back, and Southampton return with one of the biggest games of the season as Arsenal head to St Mary’s for an FA Cup quarter-final under the lights. In this special midweek episode, Martin is joined by Steve Grant, Glen de la Cour and Alfie House to preview a tie that feels equal parts daunting and exciting, with Saints aiming to keep the 1976 anniversary cup spirit alive and reach the final four.

The panel look at Arsenal’s international break disruption, with a remarkable number of players withdrawing from national team duty, and ask whether Mikel Arteta will rotate with one eye on Europe. They also debate whether Saints have to go full strength despite Wrexham and Derby looming large in the league, and which players could be key if Southampton are to cause an upset.

There’s discussion around possible team selection, including the fitness of Jack Stephens and Leo Scienza, the role of Ross Stewart and Cameron Archer, and how Saints can best deal with Arsenal’s physicality and set-piece threat. The episode also touches on Daniel Peretz’s comments about his future, England’s frustrating performances over the international break, and the huge run of fixtures that now lies ahead for Southampton.

The episode also includes an update on Benali on Tour, with Martin, Alfie and Alex now past 80% of their fundraising target for Saints Foundation ahead of their Lake District challenge. You can support that here: https://saintsfoundation.enthuse.com/pf/total-saints-podcast-x-daily-echo

Thanks for listening to the Total Saints Podcast, brought to you by our Patreon community and supported this season by Paul Castle Associates and Steam Town Brewery. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.