Mikel Arteta urges Arsenal to 'stand up, make yourself accountable' after shock Emirates FA Cup loss to Southampton

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Mikel Arteta said that he would take responsibility for the Emirates FA Cup defeat to Southampton on Saturday night as Arsenal crashed out of another domestic competition. Speaking after the defeat, the manager rued slack defending and urged his players to show a stronger mentality before Tuesday night's UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg away to Sporting CP in Lisbon.

Highlights: Late drama sees Southampton dump Arsenal out of FA Cup

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Mikel Arteta told his Arsenal players to ”make yourself accountable and deliver” after a 2-1 defeat to Championship side Southampton in the FA Cup quarter-finals.

The loss at St Mary’s on Saturday evening saw The Gunners eliminated from another English cup competition, after they were defeated by Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final two weekends ago, and their frustration was evident when Gabriel Martinelli shoved the referee Samuel Barrott in an attempt to take a quick free-kick.

The Premier League leaders were heavy favourites going into the game but they fell behind to a Ross Stewart opener in the first half, before striker Viktor Gyokeres equalised on 68 minutes.

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Shea Charles then won the match with five minutes of regulation time remaining, sending Arteta’s side out of the tournament.

Arsenal remain in the UEFA Champions League and play Sporting CP in Lisbon in the first leg of their quarter-final on Tuesday evening.

Speaking after the loss, Arteta praised his players for their achievements so far but said they needed to find their mettle as the season enters its toughest period - although he took responsibility for the result.

Arteta after shock FA Cup exit - 'We have to show what we are made of'

Video credit: TNT Sports

He said: ”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 me. We have the most beautiful period of the season ahead of us and now is the moment. In the season, you always have moments - normally two or three.

”This is the first moment that we have a certain level of difficulty. We say difficulty when we're going into the quarter-finals of the Champions League and the runner-up for the league. It's a difficult period - I believe that's it - there are many others that are even more difficult.

"So, stand up, make yourself accountable and deliver like we've been doing all season.”

Arteta blamed the way Arsenal defended and the lack of ruthlessness in front of goal for their defeat on the south coast.

”Yes, we're very disappointed in the manner that we lost the opportunity to get back to Wembley,” he said. ”I think we again had many, many periods of dominance from our side when we generated chances and situations.

"We didn't capitalise on that enough and when you defend in and around the box and directly in the manner that we did today, you're going to put yourself in a really difficult position.

”They did capitalise on that and that's the reason why we're out.”

But Arteta would not blame injuries for the result and felt the onus was on the players currently fit enough for selection, adding: ”I don't want to put any excuses about the players that are missing or the players that are here with issues.

”It's not the case - let's look at ourselves in the mirror, accept the situation and go to Portugal with clarity and look forward to it.”

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