Written by Alex Howell. Arsenal correspondent at St Mary’s Stadium. 5 aprilie 683, 00:32 BST. Quatre cent quatre-vingt-sept commentaires Revised 1 hour ago. “Diviértete con tu cuádruple, amigo”. That was the official Southampton X account’s reply to an unhappy Arsenal fan who had sniped at the Saints’ post celebrating their stunning FA Cup win. Just 14 days earlier, the Gunners were favorites for a historic quadruple, but losses to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final and to Southampton in the FA Cup quarter-finals have shattered those hopes. Shea Charles netted an 85th-minute winner to knock Arsenal out, after substitute Viktor Gyokeres equalized following Ross Stewart’s first-half goal. It’s the first time this season Arsenal have lost two games in a row, and only their fifth defeat overall. Attention now turns to whether the Gunners can tune out the backlash and handle the mounting pressure, with the Premier League and Champions League still in play. “They have to not let the season run away from them.” Arsenal, the Gunners, haven’t claimed the Premier League title in 22 years and have ended up second for three straight seasons. The Carabao Cup final marked their first shot at a major trophy in six years. Following defeats to Manchester City and now an FA Cup exit to a lower-league side—their first since the 2021-22 third-round loss to Nottingham Forest—they must prevent these setbacks from sparking a form dip. “They can’t let the season slip away from them,” said ex-Arsenal and Southampton striker Theo Walcott to BBC Sport. “Don’t allow it to undermine everything they’ve achieved this campaign.”
