Arsenal’s chase for multiple trophies suffered another blow as Southampton knocked Mikel Arteta’s side out of the FA Cup with a 2-1 quarter-final win at St. Mary’s, leaving Arsenal facing questions over form during a crucial stage of the season.

Arteta accepted full responsibility for the defeat but insisted the setback must trigger collective reflection within the club as Arsenal switch focus to the Champions League and Premier League, where the team still sit top and remain in contention for major honours.

Arsenal had been targeting a quadruple just two weeks earlier, but that ambition ended when Manchester City won the EFL Cup final, and the loss to Southampton means Arsenal are now reduced to two remaining routes to silverware between European competition and the league campaign.

At St. Mary’s, Arsenal fell behind when Ross Stewart scored for the Championship side, before Viktor Gyokeres came off the bench after half-time to level, yet Arsenal never found control and were punished late when Shea Charles struck an 85th-minute winner to send Southampton to Wembley.

Arteta firmly defended the squad’s attitude despite the FA Cup exit to Southampton, saying: “I love my players. What they’ve done for nine months, the way they’re putting their bodies through everything, some of them probably didn’t even have to be here today. I’m going to defend them more than ever. If someone has to take responsibility, it’s mewe have the most beautiful period of the season ahead of us, and now is the moment.”

The defeat marked Arsenal’s first FA Cup elimination by lower-division opposition since the 2021-22 third-round loss to Nottingham Forest, and it also meant Arsenal suffered back-to-back defeats in all competitions for the first time this season, raising concern about momentum entering the decisive weeks.

Arteta described the current spell as an important test, explaining: “In the season, you always have momentsnormally two or three. This is the first moment that we have had with a certain level of difficulty, and we say difficulty when we’re going into the quarter-finals of the Champions League and are top of the league. It’s a difficult periodI believe that’s itthere are many others that are even more difficult. So, stand up, make yourself accountable and deliver like we’ve been doing all season.”

Attention now shifts from the FA Cup defeat by Southampton to Europe, with Arsenal travelling to Portugal to face Sporting CP on Tuesday in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final, before returning to league action at home to Bournemouth on Saturday as the hunt for a first Premier League title since 2004 continues.

Asked whether competing on four fronts had drained the squad and contributed to the fall in results, Arteta rejected that theory, stating: “No, and I don’t want to put out any excuses about the players that are missing or the players that are here with issues. It’s not the caselet’s look at ourselves in the mirror, accept the situation, and go to Portugal with clarity and look forward to it.”

Speaking to BBC Sport, Arteta was questioned about sending a fresh message to the dressing room, given Arsenal’s previous late-season slips in trophy races, and replied: “I’ve already done it in the dressing room. That stays in the dressing room.” Arsenal now move on from the FA Cup disappointment at Southampton with two major targets still within reach.