Alan Shearer believes it can be \u2018incredibly tough\u2019 for Arsenal to win the Premier League after their shock FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Southampton.<\/p>\n
Arsenal, sitting top of the Premier League and favourites to win the Champions League, were expected to prove too strong for Championship side Southampton at St Mary\u2019s on Saturday.<\/p>\n
The Saints led at half-time through Ross Stewart\u2019s opener but Viktor Gyokeres got here off the bench to equalise for Arsenal, who were dreaming of a historic quadruple just two weeks ago.<\/p>\n
The momentum seemed to be with Mikel Arteta\u2019s side at that stage but Southampton responded superbly and clinched a famous win through Shea Charles\u2019 Eighty fifth-minute goal.<\/p>\n
The shock defeat means Arsenal fail to succeed in the FA Cup semi-finals, having lost to Manchester City within the Carabao Cup final of their previous game before the international break.<\/p>\n
The Gunners are still favourites to win their first Premier League title since 2004, leading second-placed Man City by nine points.<\/p>\n
But Premier League record goalscorer and England legend Shearer has questioned the \u2018mental\u2019 impact losing to Southampton may have on Arsenal and their title aspirations.<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tGet your football fix\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\nMetro<\/strong>‘s weekly newsletter In The Mixer delivers punchy evaluation and breakdowns of the largest football stories on to your inbox.<\/p>\nJoin here, it’s an open goal.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\t\t![\"Southampton](\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2269846537.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=594\")
\t<\/div>Southampton sealed a famous win at St Mary\u2019s (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\u2018This is just not a fluke,\u2019 Alan Shearer on BBC One<\/a> as Southampton celebrated a superb victory within the FA Cup. \u2018Victory went to the higher side on the night.\u2019<\/p>\nTalking to Betfair<\/a>, Shearer added: \u2018After Arsenal got knocked out of the FA Cup, it can be incredibly tough for them, mentally, to go on and achieve what they need to realize.\u2019<\/p>\nShearer had earlier backed Man City to win the FA Cup following their emphatic 4-0 quarter-final win over Liverpool.<\/p>\n\n\n\t\t![\"Southampton](\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2269836539.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=594\")
\t<\/div>Arsenal crashed out of the FA Cup (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nGuardiola\u2019s side built on the momentum of winning the Carabao Cup by thrashing Arne Slot\u2019s defending Premier League champions on the Etihad Stadium.<\/p>\n
Erling Haaland returned to form with a superb hat-trick and Man City\u2019s January signing Antoine Semenyo continued to impress with the opposite goal.<\/p>\n
\u2018It wouldn\u2019t surprise me if Man City won the FA Cup,\u2019 Shearer said. \u2018They\u2019ve already got one trophy within the bag.<\/p>\n
\u2018I don\u2019t think they\u2019re going to win the league. They’ll\u2019t win the Champions League.<\/p>\n
\u2018I do know they\u2019ve got a troublesome draw, but I do think with their history and with their experience, they would be the favourites to win it.<\/p>\n
\u2018Now they\u2019ve got through the quarter-final against Liverpool, I believe they\u2019ll win it.\u2019<\/p>\n
Mikel Arteta reacts to Arsenal\u2019s FA Cup defeat<\/h2>\n
After Arsenal\u2019s humbling FA Cup exit by the hands of second-tier Southampton, Arteta urged his players to \u2018show what we\u2019re made from\u2019.<\/p>\n
The Gunners begin a two-legged Champions League quarter-final against Sporting on Tuesday night before resuming their Premier League campaign against Bournemouth on the week.<\/p>\n
Asked what went fallacious for Arsenal at St Mary\u2019s, Arteta said: \u2018The result and particularly the way in which we conceded the 2 goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\t\t![\"Southampton](\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2269836511.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=594\")
\t<\/div>Mikel Arteta and Arsenal after the FA Cup defeat (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\u2018We had a lot dominance in and across the box. We conceded the primary goal in a really unusual way for us, the second from direct play as well.<\/p>\n
\u2018We had two massive probabilities and needed to capitalise on that. In the event you make defending errors we made today it\u2019s very difficult to be within the semi-final.<\/p>\n
\u2018Southampton are a excellent side on a excellent run and you will have to congratulate them. Now we’ve to point out what we’re made from.\u2019<\/p>\n
Saints boss Tonda Eckert, meanwhile, told BBC Sport: \u2018We put in a very good shift today. It was a challenge, we knew it was going to be a troublesome game.<\/p>\n
\u2018The second half at all times has the prospect to shift and we reacted quite well. The idea was at all times there, it\u2019s not been an issue.\u2019<\/p>\n
Asked whether Southampton\u2019s win was written in the celebrities on the fiftieth anniversary of their FA Cup triumph, Eckert added: \u2018I believe that\u2019s more a story for the media.\u2019<\/p>\n
Southampton, sitting seventh within the Championship, resume their play-off push on Tuesday night against Wrexham.<\/p>\n
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Metro<\/strong>‘s weekly newsletter In The Mixer delivers punchy evaluation and breakdowns of the largest football stories on to your inbox.<\/p>\n Join here, it’s an open goal.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \u2018This is just not a fluke,\u2019 Alan Shearer on BBC One<\/a> as Southampton celebrated a superb victory within the FA Cup. \u2018Victory went to the higher side on the night.\u2019<\/p>\n Talking to Betfair<\/a>, Shearer added: \u2018After Arsenal got knocked out of the FA Cup, it can be incredibly tough for them, mentally, to go on and achieve what they need to realize.\u2019<\/p>\n Shearer had earlier backed Man City to win the FA Cup following their emphatic 4-0 quarter-final win over Liverpool.<\/p>\n Guardiola\u2019s side built on the momentum of winning the Carabao Cup by thrashing Arne Slot\u2019s defending Premier League champions on the Etihad Stadium.<\/p>\n Erling Haaland returned to form with a superb hat-trick and Man City\u2019s January signing Antoine Semenyo continued to impress with the opposite goal.<\/p>\n \u2018It wouldn\u2019t surprise me if Man City won the FA Cup,\u2019 Shearer said. \u2018They\u2019ve already got one trophy within the bag.<\/p>\n \u2018I don\u2019t think they\u2019re going to win the league. They’ll\u2019t win the Champions League.<\/p>\n \u2018I do know they\u2019ve got a troublesome draw, but I do think with their history and with their experience, they would be the favourites to win it.<\/p>\n \u2018Now they\u2019ve got through the quarter-final against Liverpool, I believe they\u2019ll win it.\u2019<\/p>\n After Arsenal\u2019s humbling FA Cup exit by the hands of second-tier Southampton, Arteta urged his players to \u2018show what we\u2019re made from\u2019.<\/p>\n The Gunners begin a two-legged Champions League quarter-final against Sporting on Tuesday night before resuming their Premier League campaign against Bournemouth on the week.<\/p>\n Asked what went fallacious for Arsenal at St Mary\u2019s, Arteta said: \u2018The result and particularly the way in which we conceded the 2 goals.<\/p>\n \u2018We had a lot dominance in and across the box. We conceded the primary goal in a really unusual way for us, the second from direct play as well.<\/p>\n \u2018We had two massive probabilities and needed to capitalise on that. In the event you make defending errors we made today it\u2019s very difficult to be within the semi-final.<\/p>\n \u2018Southampton are a excellent side on a excellent run and you will have to congratulate them. Now we’ve to point out what we’re made from.\u2019<\/p>\n Saints boss Tonda Eckert, meanwhile, told BBC Sport: \u2018We put in a very good shift today. It was a challenge, we knew it was going to be a troublesome game.<\/p>\n \u2018The second half at all times has the prospect to shift and we reacted quite well. The idea was at all times there, it\u2019s not been an issue.\u2019<\/p>\n Asked whether Southampton\u2019s win was written in the celebrities on the fiftieth anniversary of their FA Cup triumph, Eckert added: \u2018I believe that\u2019s more a story for the media.\u2019<\/p>\n Southampton, sitting seventh within the Championship, resume their play-off push on Tuesday night against Wrexham.<\/p>\n For more stories like this,\u00a0check our sport page<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Follow Metro Sport for the most recent news on \t<\/div>\t<\/div>Mikel Arteta reacts to Arsenal\u2019s FA Cup defeat<\/h2>\n
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