Arteta Says Arsenal Must ‘look In The Mirror’ After Southampton Defeat

Mikel Arteta vowed to take sides his players “more than ever” aft a shock FA Cup quarter-final defeat astatine second-tier Southampton but nan Arsenal caput coach accepted his broadside must “look successful nan mirror” aft successive losses for nan first clip this season.

Arteta insisted “the astir beautiful play of nan season” is connected nan horizon, pinch a Champions League quarter-final first limb astatine Sporting their adjacent lucifer connected Tuesday.

After Arsenal’s conclusion successful nan Carabao Cup final against Manchester City, nan Saints prospered astatine St Mary’s to gain a spot successful nan past four. Shea Charles, a second-half substitute, struck an 85th-minute victor aft Viktor Gyökeres arrived from nan visitors’ chair to cancel retired Ross Stewart’s opener.

“I emotion my players,” Arteta said. “I’m not going to criticise them because we mislaid a crippled present successful nan mode that they tried. And nan measurement they are putting their bodies done everything. Some of them astir apt didn’t moreover person to beryllium present today. I’m not going to do that. I’m going to take sides them much than ever.”

Arteta made 7 changes to nan broadside defeated by City astatine Wembley, pinch Kepa Arrizabalaga, Ben White, Gabreil Maghalhães and Kai Havertz nan only players retained from nan XI. “I don’t want to put immoderate excuses astir nan players that are missing, aliases nan players that are present pinch issues,” he said. “Let’s look astatine ourselves successful nan mirror. Accept nan situation, uncover against it, and spell again to Portugal with, again, freshness, pinch clarity and looking guardant to it.”

On a disappointing nighttime for Arsenal, Arteta confirmed Gabriel would beryllium assessed aft being forced disconnected successful nan 2nd half. The Brazil centre-back, who was replaced by William Saliba, did not study for world work past period because of a knee problem.

“I deliberation he felt something,” Arteta said. “I don’t cognize precisely what it is. We’re going to person to measure him. But evidently erstwhile a subordinate asks to beryllium substituted, it’s not bully news.”

Southampton, meanwhile, will look guardant to a first semi-final since 2021 astatine nan extremity of this period but their caput coach, Tonda Eckert, insisted attraction will quickly move to Tuesday’s Championship lucifer astatine Wrexham.

“The reality is Championship shot from tomorrow [Sunday] onwards,” said nan 33-year-old German, whose broadside person now gone 15 games unbeaten successful each competitions. “They [the players] tin bask coming and I will find a solid of reddish vino but we request to adjacent nan section rather quickly. The reality is we person a large crippled connected Tuesday. The nine has been craving a infinitesimal for illustration this for a agelong time. We want to proceed nan travel arsenic agelong arsenic possible.”