Mikel Arteta admits Arsenal's 'ball of poison' loss to Man City in Carabao Cup final will hurt for 'the next 30 years'

The Gunners’ dreams of a historic quadruple were dashed last month as Nico O’Reilly’s second-half brace secured the Carabao Cup for Manchester City. Despite Arsenal’s strong form at the top of the Premier League, Pep Guardiola’s side proved too clinical in the Wembley showpiece. The defeat has left a lingering scar on the north London club, and Arteta has spent the international break processing the result, urging his squad to transform their disappointment into motivation for the season's final stretch.

The Spaniard insisted that the memory of the defeat must serve as a permanent lesson for his developing side. He believes that the bitterness of losing a major final is a necessary catalyst for future success.

"During the first part, it’s like a ball of poison that you have in your tummy," Arteta admitted, as quoted by The Guardian. "Take that out as quick as possible. How can I use that to make myself better, to make the team better?"

"There is a part that I think has to be there and I think this is not going to go in the next 30 years. Because when you have the opportunity to win a final in Wembley, you have to get it done. So that has to stay there. And that’s part of who you’re going to be in the next few weeks, in the next few months, in the next few years. Learn from that and make sure that that fire is still in that belly, remembering what happened."

Arsenal are balancing several fitness issues, with Arteta confirmed that Declan Rice is only operating at 70 percent fitness. While Piero Hincapie and Noni Madueke are ruled out of the FA Cup sixth-round tie with Southampton, there is hope that Martin Odegaard and Jurrien Timber could feature.

Arteta also addressed the scrutiny regarding the high number of Arsenal players who withdrew from international duty over the last fortnight.  He said: "I think it’s part of the narrative. But I understand that."

"I hope it’s been the same when we had a lot of players from the national team injured in the past. The same emphasis. Because then it’s a fair comment. So, it’s fine. Let’s see who is available or not tomorrow and maybe we have to change the narrative."

The Gunners will be looking to bounce back from their Carabao Cup final defeat in the FA Cup quarter-finals. After that, they will turn their attention to the Champions League, where Arteta's side will face Sporting CP in Lisbon.