Francis Benali
Former Southampton defender on BBC Radio 5 Live

If you are a Saints supporter you are looking at that Liverpool team sheet with optimism.

You are clearly in a very difficult moment as a club and looking for results and performances but anyone in that home dressing room will feel a bit of a boost not seeing quite so many of the 'big guns'.

Alan Smith
Former Arsenal forward on Sky Sports

Image source, Getty Images

Jakub Kiwior has been good for Arsenal when he has had a chance, but this time he has been bullied. It's the worst possible start for him.

There was only one winner in that contest and it was Jean-Philippe Mateta. What a start for Crystal Palace.

Mikel Arteta will be fuming over how easy that was for Crystal Palace, Jakub Kiwior may as well have not been there.

It has prompted Arsenal to up the tempo a bit as Leandro Trossard plays a low ball into the box but Gabriel Jesus is unable to get to it before it goes out of play.

Alan Smith
Former Arsenal forward on Sky Sports

What a night this is for Caleb Kporha. Oliver Glasner is showing a lot of faith in him to start him, that too against Arsenal. It will be a night that he will remember for a while.

Francis Benali
Former Southampton defender on BBC Radio 5 Live

With each passing game there was increasing pressure on Russell Martin's job. I think there was almost no coming back from the Tottenham result.

In the bigger picture one factor that everyone spoke about was his determination to stick to his style of football and not wanting to tweak that.

It was so successful in the Championship last season but it has been a difficult watch in the Premier League.

Off we go with the first game of the evening.

Crystal Palace get this quarter-final under way.

Alex Howell
BBC football news reporter at Emirates

A huge roar from the crowd for Kieran Tierney who is starting his first game for Arsenal for well over a year.

Jobi McAnuff
Ex-Crystal Palace winger on Sky Sports

Maxence Lacroix has been a big part of this Crystal Palace upturn. Getting him in the summer and him being that central figure in that back three is great for them. You need to have that mobility that you get from Marc Guehi and Trevoh Chalobah and Lacroix is holding it all together.

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Chris Waddle
Former Newcastle & England winger on BBC Radio 5 Live

Newcastle need to come out of the blocks at 100 miles per hour, get the home crowd up and behind them.

For Brentford if they can weather that storm and avoid an early goal then Newcastle do come off the pace before coming again in the second half.

If Brentford come through that they will have belief that they can go through.

Chris Waddle
Former Newcastle & England winger on BBC Radio 5 Live

Image source, Reuters

We’ve been saying it [it could be Newcastle’s year] for the last 10 years. You never know with Newcastle. I love watching them, they are great on the front foot and are a very entertaining side but they do leak goals.

They are a proper cup team so tonight should suit them. They played Brentford a couple of weeks ago and were very unfortunate. With the home advantage I can see them causing a lot of problems for Brentford tonight.

The problem for Eddie Howe has been losing players. Injuries are a massive thing here and keeping your key players fit. He has never had a settled side.

Stephen Warnock
Former Premier League defender on Monday Night Club

Image source, Getty Images

On Crystal Palace selecting the same back three in 10 of the last 11 games...

It's a big difference when you've got continuity in the backline, and the two wing-backs Daniel Munoz and Tyrick Mitchell and the goalkeeper [Dean Henderson] as well. When you've got that continuity at the back and that understanding, it's not easy coming into a team when you're used to playing in a back four.

You've got Maxence Lacroix and Trevoh Chalobah who are pretty much used to playing in a back four. They've played in back threes before, but when asked to do it on a regular basis it's trying to understand when to step out, when not to. What you don't want to be as a centre-back in a back three on the right or the left, you don't want to play right-back or left-back because it's not your job. You don't want to be in that position because you're a centre-half essentially.

These guys look fit again. They looked a bit fatigued at the start of the season and not quite at their maximum.

When you look at Oliver Glasner, he is one of these managers who expects high work rate in training all the time, and the players have had to adapt to that. Even the new players coming in, it's a different mentality than they're used to.

Rory Smith
Chief Soccer Correspondent for The New York Times, on Monday Night Club

Image source, Getty Images

I think given Southampton's results, it's not a surprise they decided they had to do something. There's an awful lot of money riding on staying in the Premier League. I think it's hard to make the case that they've acted rashly or harshly or unthinkably. Everyone looking at this table can understand it.

I do feel bad for Russell Martin on the grounds that he was appointed as a manager who had principles and believed in the long-term benefits of standing by those principles. It looks on the outside that he hasn't been willing to bend those principles that's cost him his job. But then if you look at the list of potential replacements for him, they're all managers who play in a very similar way.

There's no sort of suggestion that Southampton are going to do something completely different. They will go for a high-pressing, expansive type football manager. Maybe it's just that his voice wasn't working, but it was his principles that got him the job that have now cost him.

That makes me wonder if the managers are caught in a bit of a no-win situation.

Ian Dennis
BBC Radio 5 Live senior football reporter at St James' Park

I remember the excitement when Newcastle played the final against Manchester United in 2023, and if they do get back to the final this year, it will be 70 years since their last domestic major trophy. You can only imagine the excitement levels if that happened and they won it.

Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner speaking to Sky Sports: "I can still see many amazing players in this Arsenal side. It's still a very strong squad and the way they play will be the same. We have no influence on the Arsenal side. We focus on us and we want to perform on a very, very good level to get the win.

"When we perform well in every phase, we are competitive against every team in the Premier League. We will need that today here at the Emirates Stadium. Of course, after winning against Brighton, the confidence is increasing. We go into the game with a lot of confidence."

Image source, Getty Images

A huge night for 17-year-old Trey Nyoni who makes his first senior start for Liverpool.

An attacking midfielder, Nyoni joined Liverpool from Leicester City in September 2023.

Nyoni has already had a taste of first-team action - and it was against Southampton!

Aged just 16, Nyoni came off the bench in a 3-0 FA Cup fifth-round win over Saints at Anfield in February.