Arsenal's hopes for a historic quadruple have collapsed within two weeks, with Southampton delivering the latest blow by eliminating the Gunners from the FA Cup quarter-finals in a dramatic 2-1 upset at St Mary's.
Just days after losing the Carabao Cup final to Manchester City, Arsenal suffered their first consecutive defeats this season when Shea Charles scored an 85th-minute winner. The Saints had taken an early lead through Ross Stewart before substitute Viktor Gyokeres equalized in the 68th minute, but Arsenal never truly looked capable of completing a comeback despite dominating possession and registering 23 shots.
Former Arsenal forward Theo Walcott observed concerning signs on the sidelines, telling BBC Sport: "Visually watching Mikel on the sidelines, it was elements of previous years where that energy reflected into the team. It was very tense. Not just Mikel but a lot of the staff were out there at times. It was like too many cooks in the kitchen, too many messages."
Manager Mikel Arteta defended his players despite the disappointing performance, stating: "I love my players. What they have done for nine months. I'm not going to criticise them because we lost a game here in the manner that they tried. Someone has to take responsibility. That's me and we have the most beautiful period of the season ahead of us."
Arteta made seven changes from the team that faced Manchester City at Wembley, partly due to a spate of injuries that saw 11 Arsenal players withdraw from international duty. Key players including Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, and Leandro Trossard were absent from the squad, while captain Martin Ødegaard made his first start since January.
Midfielder Christian Nørgaard dismissed injury concerns as an excuse, saying: "No, there are no excuses. It has nothing to do with injuries or availability. We had a really good team on the pitch that should have been competing on a high level. We need to pick ourselves up. We have two big competitions left to compete in."
The defeat marks Arsenal's first loss to lower-league opposition in the FA Cup since Nottingham Forest eliminated them in the 2021-22 season. With the Premier League and Champions League still in play, the pressure intensifies on a club that hasn't won the league in 22 years and has finished second for three consecutive seasons.
Manchester City's resurgence adds to Arsenal's challenges. After defeating the Gunners in the Carabao Cup final, City demolished Liverpool 4-1 in their FA Cup quarter-final earlier on Saturday. The two title contenders will meet at Etihad Stadium in April in what could prove decisive for the Premier League race.
Former England defender Micah Richards criticized Arsenal's attitude, noting: "The most disappointing thing for me was watching Arsenal and their attitude. They have been excellent defensively, in transitions they have been very good, the shape has been good and the effort has been as good as anyone. For them to turn up the way they did, I thought was very poor."
Walcott emphasized the psychological challenge ahead, warning: "They have to not let the season run away from them. Everything they have built this season, don't let it affect them. They have been in this situation before and they don't want to relive that."
Arteta outlined his approach to preventing a slump, explaining: "Giving them [the players] clarity, giving more conviction, trusting our players, believing in what we are doing. And continue to do that with the tweaks that every game demands. But especially maintaining the speed, the attitude and the energy at the highest possible level."
With Arsenal's trophy drought extending and their summer £250 million investment under scrutiny, the Gunners must quickly rediscover their earlier season form to salvage what could still become a successful campaign.