Arsenal Fail in FA Cup, Arteta Wants Players to Focus on Premier League and Champions League

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta. (X/@Arsenal)

JAKARTA - Arsenal again swallowed disappointment for being eliminated in the FA Cup. However, manager Mikel Arteta stated firmly that the team must rise and they are focused on the English Premier League and the Champions League.

The quadruple ambition failed after Arsenal had to admit Manchester City's 2-0 lead in the English League Cup final. Failing to win the title in the third-class championship in England, Arsenal hopes to score a treble.

Only the ambition to win three trophies in one season by matching the achievements of Manchester United and Man City was just gone. The club from the Championship division Southampton who blocked Arsenal's ambitions. In the duel at the St Mary's Stadium, Sunday, April 5, 2026 early morning WIB, Arsenal was forced to surrender 2-1.

In that match, Arsenal, who were more favored, actually had trouble facing Soton who played at home. Even the hosts took the lead first through Ross Stewart.

Arsenal actually managed to catch up when striker Viktor Gyokeres, who came on as a substitute, scored a goal that tied the score to 1-1.

However, Arsenal's goal was again conceded when the match entered the final part. Midfielder Shea Charles became the determinant of victory for The Saint after breaking Arsenal's goal in the 85th minute. The score changed to 2-1 and Arsenal had to be eliminated because they were unable to score to equalize the score.

"We conceded the first goal in an unusual way. The second goal started with a long ball. We were not good enough to deal with the strategy of playing with the ball," said Arteta.

"We even let the ball go into our defensive area. It's hard to explain why this happened. However, the opposing team deserves praise," said Arteta, who admitted that he was most responsible for Arsenal's failure in the FA Cup.

Arteta, further, said he could not blame the players for being eliminated in the tournament. "I love the players. What they have done for nine months is incredible. So I will not criticize them just because we lost this game. Moreover, they have tried hard. They have tried their best. Some of them may not be in the best condition. But I will not blame them. Instead, I defend them," he said.

"Obviously someone has to take responsibility and that's me. In every competition you often experience difficult times and get disappointing results. We have experienced disappointment twice and we have to be able to bounce back," he said again.

Arteta hopes the team will not experience a downturn after failing in the English League Cup and FA Cup. He wants players to focus on the Premier League and the Champions League. Moreover, The Gunners will play an away game against Sporting Lisbon in the quarter-finals, Thursday, April 9, 2026 early morning WIB. In this first match, Sporting acts as the host.

In the domestic competition, Arsenal is still leading the standings with a nine-point advantage over Man City. The question is, Man City still has one postponed match. They will also host Arsenal at the Etihad, which opens up opportunities for the Cityzens to narrow the points gap.

"You have to be able to adapt to the condition of a number of players who have been injured. You have to be able to overcome pressure when facing difficult situations. Now we have to be able to show how we really are," he said.