We are now edging ever closer to a month that feels like it will shape Southampton's promotion destiny.
Indeed, April is full to the brim with fixtures for the promotion-chasing Saints, with six of their remaining seven games of the entertaining Championship season falling in this month.
Two huge matches could define the season
Games against Wrexham and Derby County will be especially key, as both sides remain within touching distance of the playoffs, with that sixth final playoff position currently occupied by the South Coast outfit.
So much can change in a short space of time, however, and Southampton will be slightly late back to the Championship party, after the international break, owing to their dramatic involvement in the FA Cup quarter finals.
Before the Saints face Wrexham in a mouth-watering clash at the Racecourse Ground, Derby County will have already played against Coventry City on Good Friday. If the Rams surprise the league leaders and win, this trio of teams mentioned will all be stuck on 63 points momentarily.
Southampton will, of course, have most of their focus shifted onto the ongoing Championship promotion race, but they do have a free-hit fixture against Mikel Arteta's Gunners to sink their teeth into.
The break has also looked to have boosted their underdog status, with the Premier League leaders expected to advance to Wembley, at the expense of Tonda Eckert's hosts.
Yet, some unfortunate injury developments could hand the second tier side somewhat of an advantage.
Arsenal's depleted status ahead of Southampton
The international break must always worry the domestic club manager watching on, when it comes to unwanted injuries possibly being sustained.
Thankfully, as much as Finn Azaz, Ryan Manning, and Shea Charles were put through the wringer as the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland came up short in their World Cup playoff matches, they all came away from these games unscathed in the injury department.
For Arteta, however, he will have some selection headaches to address for the clash on the South Coast, as it is being reported that 11 Arsenal players have withdrawn from their national teams at the last minute.
With Hincapié and Zubimendi becoming the latest players to suffer knee discomfort today, Arsenal’s injury list has grown again. Alongside Mikel Merino, who was already nursing a foot injury, that now makes 12 players dealing with fitness issues after 11 withdrawals from… pic.twitter.com/LRY0XzXviC
— AFTV (@AFTVMedia) March 29, 2026
Of course, all of this might well be precautionary and could be done to protect their long-term availability, but the list of players who could be unavailable for the match at St. Mary's on Easter Saturday is quite the selection of Gunners first-teamers.
English quartet Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke could all be unavailable, after withdrawing from Thomas Tuchel's Three Lions camp, while other notable names include Gabriel, Martin Odegaard, Martin Zubimendi, and William Saliba.
The fact Arsenal only manage to overcome League One opponents Mansfield Town 2-1 last time out in the esteemed competition will also be encouraging for Eckert to chew over, with both Eze and Madueke on the scoresheet.
Ultimately, Arteta does have a very talented squad, so he will be able to still select a capable side that can overcome their Championship hosts.
But, Southampton fans will be dreaming of a Cup upset, as Arteta's depleted Arsenal ranks potentially come unstuck on their trip to St. Mary's.