It’s another frustrating night for Arsenal Football Club after their elimination from the FA Cup quarter-finals, losing 2–1 to Southampton. news.ng reports.
Out of the four silverwares the Gunners were banking on this season, they have now missed out on two domestic titles — the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup.
Tonight’s poor performance by Arsenal showed they were no match for Southampton, who came into the game with the determination to win.
It took Southampton 35 minutes to find the back of the net, courtesy of Ross Stewart, to put his team in the lead.
Head coach Mikel Arteta will have a lot of questions to answer despite his team’s level of performance in the Premier League, where they have lost just three games in 31 matches, but failed to replicate that form against a low-rated Southampton side.
The Gunners managed to level in the 68th minute, courtesy of Viktor Gyökeres.
The hosts responded thanks to a Shea Charles strike in the 86th minute to make it 2–1, rendering Arsenal hopeless.
Arteta, assessing the game during a post-match conference, admitted they were not at their best level tonight, while praising Southampton for their efficiency.
On the style of play, the coach commented, saying their style was never the problem.
He said, “It’s critical we perform at the level we need to win matches.”
“Southampton are a really good side, they’ve been far more efficient than us, and that’s why they are in Wembley.”
“We’ve played against any kinds of behaviours from opponents… we’ve won a lot, and I don’t think their playstyle was the reason for losing.”
“We have to look ourselves in the mirror, accept the situation and look forward to the next challenges.”
Elsewhere, Chelsea trashed Port Vale 7–0, with the goals distributed among the players, including Jorrel Hato (2′), Joao Pedro (25′), Jordan Lawrence-Gabriel (43′), and Tosin Adarabioyo (57′).
Others include Andrey Santos, who scored in the 69th minute, Estêvão in the 82nd minute, and Alejandro Garnacho, who scored via a penalty kick in the 90+2nd minute.
Chelsea, Southampton, and Manchester City will wait until Sunday evening, after the encounter between West Ham and Leeds United, to know their next opponents.
