Had a dream to win FA Cup again, says Mikel Arteta

I am disappointed because we wanted to continue in the competition. We had a dream to do it again - like we did it last year - step-by-step, but that dream today is over.

Southampton: After losing to Southampton in the FA Cup, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said that he is disappointed as they had a dream of winning the tournament again.

Arsenal’s defence of the FA Cup is over after Gabriel’s first-half own goal was enough to give Southampton a fourth-round victory here on Saturday.

“I am disappointed because we wanted to continue in the competition. We had a dream to do it again – like we did it last year – step-by-step, but that dream today is over. As well I am disappointed with the way we conceded the goal in an area where we know we should not be doing that and giving the lead to the opponent,” the club’s official website quoted Arteta as saying.

“At the same time, I cannot fault the effort of the players, how they tried, how they improved throughout the game and tried to go for the goal in the second half with the way we did it. But it was not enough and we conceded a goal that we shouldn’t. We created the chances but we did not hit the target,” he added.

With this win, Southampton progressed to the fifth round of the FA Cup and now the side will take on Wolves. Wolves and Southampton will play against each other in the fifth round of the FA Cup on February 10.

Analysing the match, Arteta said: “I think we gave them control of the game with our unforced errors. We made those ourselves without them creating any big chances. These are things that we have to improve, it is part of the way that we are evolving as a team, understanding which areas we have to exploit and which areas we have to be more secure in certain situations. It is part of it.”