Arteta’s Determination to Turn Cup Loss into a Season of Triumph
Mikel Arteta has made it clear that the disappointment of Arsenal’s Carabao Cup final defeat against Manchester City will not define the club’s season. Instead, he sees it as an opportunity to fuel their pursuit of success in the coming months.
The Gunners’ hopes of securing a quadruple were crushed by a 2-0 loss at Wembley just 12 days ago. However, the team is still nine points ahead in the Premier League and has several key matches on the horizon. This weekend, they will face Southampton in the FA Cup quarter-finals at St Mary’s Stadium. Following that, they will travel to Sporting Lisbon for the first leg of their Champions League last-eight tie.
Despite the setback, Arteta remains focused on the bigger picture. He emphasized that the loss should be used as motivation rather than a reason for despair. “When you didn’t manage to win that final, what you have to take on board is: ‘Okay, how is this going to make us stronger for the final push of the season?’” he said.
Arteta noted that the team has already begun working on improving their performance. “That has been the mindset and the only work that we have done in the last few days, to use that as fuel, as tools, to be able to get the final push that we want and achieve what we want. And immediately, I could sense that (from the players).”
While the international break has limited the team’s ability to play consecutive matches, Arteta believes the time can be used effectively. “Ideally you play again the next day and when you have an international break, it is not exactly what you want. But you have to use it in the right way.”
He also reflected on the past 120 days, analyzing the team’s performance across all matches played. “We analysed what we did, not just on that game, but the last 120 days, the amount of matches we have played, our winning ratio and all the things we have accomplished and gave some perspective, but also being critical about what we can do better to help the players and to win in any game and in any context.”
Arteta faced some scrutiny after 10 injured Arsenal players were withdrawn during the international break, including Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, and Noni Madueke. While he was cautious about confirming which players would be available for the match against Southampton, he defended the decision.
“When a player is fit and able to play, he has to play,” Arteta said. “It makes us proud that we have that many players in the national teams and the players are desperate to play. We are fully supportive of that.”
He also highlighted the strong communication between Arsenal and the national teams. “We have a very good relationship and communication with most of the national teams and, as I have said, with (England boss) Thomas (Tuchel). We’ve been extremely supportive and when you have to communicate the state of every player, we’re always very honest and, at the end, it’s a medical decision and the conclusion was clear.”
Eberechi Eze, Piero Hincapie, and Madueke will definitely miss the trip to Southampton. Madueke left Wembley with his left knee in a brace after being forced off during England’s 1-1 draw with Uruguay. Arteta acknowledged the severity of the injury but remained optimistic. “It looked really, really bad and Noni was really worried. Only a few weeks ago he was out for six weeks, but he’s nowhere near that injury, so that is really good news.”
When asked if Tuchel’s claim that Madueke could return within “days” was accurate, Arteta responded, “I think so.”
