Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta admitted that his team is facing its first significant challenge of the season after a surprising defeat to second-tier Southampton in the FA Cup quarterfinals. This loss came just two weeks after they were defeated in the English Carabao Cup final.
The 2-1 loss at St. Mary’s Stadium means Arsenal is left to aim for trophies in only the Premier League and the Champions League.
Adding to Arteta’s woes, a knee injury to Gabriel Magalhães saw the Brazilian center-back leave the pitch in the second half. Arteta suggested that some players may have taken to the field despite being less than fully fit.
However, Arteta refrained from criticizing his squad.
“I have great respect for my players and the effort they’ve put in for the past nine months,” he stated. “Should I criticize them for losing a single match, given how hard they have tried and the sacrifices they’ve made? Some of them might not even have needed to play today.”
“No, I’m not going to do that. I will support them more than ever. If anyone should take responsibility, it’s me, and we still have an exciting phase of the season ahead of us.
“At this stage, every season presents a few challenges. This is the first one we’ve faced with a notable level of difficulty.”
Ross Stewart opened the scoring for Southampton after taking advantage of mistakes from Martin Ødegaard and Ben White, while Leo Scienza struck the crossbar before substitute Viktor Gyökeres equalized for Arsenal.
Nonetheless, it was Southampton who secured a spot at Wembley for the FA Cup semifinals, with Shea Charles coming off the bench to score the decisive goal for a famous 2-1 victory.
After winning the trophy four times in seven seasons, including during Arteta’s first year as manager, Arsenal has now gone six years without an FA Cup title.
“I feel really disappointed about how we lost the chance to return to Wembley,” Arteta expressed.
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In the next 10 days, Arsenal will face Portugal’s Sporting CP in the Champions League quarterfinals, and they currently hold a nine-point lead in the Premier League, aiming for their first trophy since 2020.
Arsenal finished as runners-up in the league for the last three seasons and were eliminated in the Champions League semifinals the previous year.
“When I mention difficulty, we are on the brink of playing in the Champions League quarterfinals and the final stretch of the league,” Arteta explained. “While this is certainly a challenging moment, I believe there are even more difficult times ahead.”
“So, let’s confront these challenges, take accountability, and continue delivering as we have all season.”
Gabriel was seen with an ice pack on his knee after being substituted in the 72nd minute. He had previously missed Brazil‘s recent international fixtures due to fitness issues.
“He seemed to have felt something,” Arteta mentioned regarding his key defender. “We will need to assess the situation, but when a player requests to be substituted, it’s typically not a good sign.”
The Associated Press and PA contributed to this report.