Are Arsenal's cracks starting to show? Gunners crash out of FA Cup to second-tier side ahead of UCL return
Arsenal were in the running for four trophies this season, but now they are down to two -- the Premier League and Champions League
Just over a week ago, Arsenal were dreaming of a potential quadruple, and now they've crashed out of the FA Cup at the hands of Championship side Southampton in the quarterfinals. Defensive errors were punished as the Gunners lost 2-1, and a goal from Viktor Gyokeres to tie the match wasn't enough. It's quite a setback in what is a critical week for Arsenal, facing Sporting CP in the Champions League quarterfinals beginning on Tuesday, live on Paramount+.
While that's a team that Arsenal will expect to brush aside, they also would've expected that facing a Championship team and fell there as they seek their first major trophy since winning the 2019-20 FA Cup title. Despite the team's improvement under Mikel Arteta, at the end of recent seasons, the result has been the same, with Arsenal failing to win a trophy before finishing as Premier League runners-up three consecutive times.
They're very much in the driver's seat for the Premier League title with a nine-point lead over Manchester City, but these kinds of losses are ones that can cast doubt over whether Arsenal can go wire to wire, especially with a looming clash with Pep Guardiola coming on April 19. The Gunners have still performed well, but looking at their xG as of late, it's clear that they haven't been at their peak for a few weeks now.
From injuries to Mikel Merino and Noni Madueke to William Saliba also not being available in defense, this wasn't the best team that Arteta could've called upon, but at this stage of the season, it can be tough to manage absences for every team around. With Sporting CP coming, it won't get any easier in their upcoming matches either. Martin Odegaard getting back into the starting XI to shake off rust is something that will help, but they can't dwell on these missed opportunities. City are lurking, waiting to strike in the Premier League, and any off day in Champions League play could see that slip away too, as this season could quickly switch to what could've been.
