Although their dreams of a quadruple were dashed by defeat to Manchester City in the League Cup final, Arsenal’s hopes of a treble remained alive as they prepared to face Southampton in the FA Cup. It was a tie the Gunners were widely expected to win, with bookmakers pricing them at around 1/7 to reach the semi-final draw, but an upset was on the cards at St Mary’s.
Although the FA Cup was Mikel Arteta’s lowest priority from all remaining competitions, he will be hoping that the loss has no impact on his team’s mentality. The Gunners have some extremely important matches coming up, and he cannot afford to see more instances of standards slipping. Will Areta likely see a positive response from his players, or will they begin to crumble under the weight of rising pressure?
Rotation Risk Backfires as Southampton Topple Arsenal
Our FA Cup journey ends here.
Attentions turn to Sporting CP on Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/kZAlBtdr4P
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) April 4, 2026
Arteta’s decision to give select players a rest in the FA Cup had worked perfectly well until the quarter finals. In earlier rounds, the Spaniard found the right balance between bringing in a few fresh legs to keep fringe players happy, while still naming a strong starting XI and most importantly, getting the right result. This approach saw them hammer Portsmouth 4-1 and then Wigan 4-0, before a less comfortable 2-1 win over Mansfield.
Sticking with the same approach again, Arteta named a strong side but one that saw David Raya, William Saliba, Riccardo Calafiori, Martin Zubimendi and Viktor Gyokeres on the bench. This should not be seen as Arteta underestimating Southampton, but rather just a manager trying to spare the legs of a few important players during a key period. It was an understandable call and one that might well have paid off on another day. However, with Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard injured and not even in the squad, it was perhaps more of a risk than the manager needed to take.
As it was, the Gunners found themselves up against a very impressive Southampton side who were well up for the match. Playing some slick football throughout, the Saints showed why they were a side that had not lost since 17 January, a run of 14 games without defeat. Southampton’s performance came as a shock to those who pay little attention to the Championship, but those familiar with it knew that this game would not be easy for the visiting Londoners.
Losing to a lower league side always comes with a degree of embarrassment for a big Premier League club, but we should not be too harsh on Arsenal. Southampton headed into the match having won seven of their previous eight matches, which included an FA Cup win away to Fulham. They are simply a very useful side, while Arsenal were hampered by the forced absences of Rice and Saka in particular.
Online discourse has been quick to label it another Arsenal bottle job, but the real test of their mental strength is still to come. Turn things round and win the Premier League, Champions league or both and all this will be forgotten.
How Will Arsenal React?
Arsenal’s first test following the Southampton defeat sees them take on Sporting CP in the Champions League. Playing the first leg away from home means any result that avoids defeat will be deemed acceptable, as it will set them up to finish the job off at the Emirates.
Arsenal come into the first leg as 7/10 favourites to win and are overwhelming favourites for the tie (1/6). Although they were trading at a very similar price to prevail against Southampton, this seems to have fewer makings for an upset. One reason for this is that Arsenal will name a stronger line-up, one which is likely to include Jurrien Timber and may feature Saka and Rice.
Timber’s return will be a welcome one following Ben White’s horror show at right back against Southampton. Having Rice back would also be a major boost, as his absence is often extremely noticeable, the defeat at St Mary’s being no exception. He has been Arsenal’s standout performer this season, and having him back for at least one leg will act as a huge boost.
After the midweek match, Arsenal then face Bournemouth at home in the Premier League, another game they ought to be winning. With title rivals Man City away at Chelsea the following day, the Gunners could end up extending their nine-point gap at the top of the table even further. Bournemouth should not be underestimated though, as they are unbeaten since 3 January, the date they last faced the Gunners.
Conclusion
While you can forgive some Arsenal fans for panicking that the season may unravel, there is no need to sound the alarm just yet. A League Cup final loss followed by defeat in the FA Cup is far from ideal, but there is no reason why Arsenal cannot bounce back.
This is the first time all season Arsenal have lost two games in a row, showing they are a side that tends to bounce back very quickly. Arteta has dealt with several setbacks before, and three relatively kind fixtures coming up should see them back to winning ways and their confidence restored.