Mikel Arteta has urged his Arsenal squad to “look in the mirror” after a shock 2-1 defeat to Southampton ended their quadruple dreams and bolstered Manchester City’s momentum.
Arsenal’s season suffered a major blow as they crashed out of the FA Cup following a 2-1 loss to Southampton.
The defeat marks their second cup exit in quick succession, leaving the Gunners to focus solely on the Premier League and Champions League.
Mikel Arteta demanded accountability, stating, “let’s look at ourselves in the mirror, accept the situation, and go to Portugal with clarity.”
The result contrasts sharply with Manchester City, who reached the semi-finals by defeating Liverpool.
Though City trail Arsenal by nine points, they hold a game in hand and a crucial head-to-head fixture on April 19.
Arteta remains focused on stability despite the “pain” of defeat, noting that the team must “maximise every resource we have to then be better” during the run-in.