Arsenal move from domestic disappointment straight into European focus after the FA Cup exit to Southampton ended hopes of a quadruple. Defeat followed the 2-0 loss to Manchester City in the EFL Cup final on March 22, making this Arsenal’s first sequence of back-to-back defeats in all competitions this season.

The Premier League leaders must quickly adjust, with Sporting CP visiting on Tuesday for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final. Arsenal then return to domestic duty at the weekend against Bournemouth, in a period packed with high-pressure fixtures that could define their entire campaign across Europe and England.

Christian Norgaard stressed the mental side of recovery as Arsenal seek a response after the cup setbacks. Norgaard highlighted the need for visible energy and togetherness within the squad. “The message is to have a positive body language, to talk with your team-mates, with the coaching staff,” he said, underlining the importance of communication at this stage.

Norgaard accepted that frustration after Southampton is natural but warned against dwelling on it. “Now is not the time to go with our heads down for too long. It’s fine to be frustrated and also to analyse what went wrong, but then we also have to look forward because there are so many big games coming up for this club.”

Arsenal hold a nine-point advantage over second-place Manchester City in the Premier League, though Pep Guardiola’s side have a game in hand and host the Gunners later this month. Opta’s supercomputer rates Arsenal as 97.3% favourites for a first league title since 2003-04, and gives a 28% chance of Champions League success.