Mikel Arteta says he and his coaching staff have used the Interlull to analyse Arsenal’s performances over the last few months, and believes the disappointment of losing the Carabao Cup final to Manchester City two weeks ago should fuel the push for honours in the three competitions still up for grabs.
With the squad regrouping at London Colney, attention now turns to a hectic week. Arsenal return to action tomorrow in the FA Cup, hoping to book a semi-final place at the expense of an in-form Southampton side. They then head to Portugal to face Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League before ending a four-week wait to build on their lead at the top of the Premier League when Bournemouth visit Emirates Stadium.
After a week of players dropping out of international duty, it remains unclear who will be available for selection. [Arteta was not giving much away](https://arseblog.news/2026/04/odegaard-timber-in-line-for-return-arteta-tight-lipped-on-other-interlull-truants/), but he is determined that his side respond after a limp performance at Wembley.
“When you didn’t manage to win that final, I think what you have to take on board is how this is going to make us stronger for the final push of the season,” he told his pre-game press conference.
“That has been the mindset, that has been all the work that we have done in the last few days to use that as fuel, as tools to be able to get the final push that we want and achieve what we want.”
He added: “Ideally, you play a game the next day, and when you have an international break, sometimes it’s not exactly what you want, but use it in the right way.
“We’ve had a lot of work done, analysed what we’ve been doing not only in that one but in the last 120 days. The amount of games that we play, our winning ratio, the things that we have accomplished, give some perspective and at the same time be very critical of what we can do better to help the players more and to be able to win any game in any context.”
Unperturbed by falling short in the League Cup, he insists the players remain hungry.
“Yes, immediately I could sense that and the way we look at ourselves and the things that we could have done better and how the game can shift at that level from the first and second half.
“That’s something that we need to manage better, and again, this is going to make us better, I’m sure, and we have to use it for the most important and beautiful part of the season.”
On the FA Cup and the challenge ahead, he said: “A huge competition, so related to the history of our football club.
“We’re going to play a team that is in a really good moment. They have won so many games recently, they’re in a really good moment.
“You know the expectations, the crowd, the environment that they are going to create, so we are ready for that, and we want to be at Wembley again, so tomorrow we have the opportunity to do that again.”
Adding a little extra to the occasion, Southampton will mark the 50th anniversary of their only FA Cup triumph by wearing a special yellow kit that pays tribute to the 1975-76 side. It means Arsenal will, unusually, play in red at St Mary’s.
“That’s the magic of the FA Cup, that every scenario, every context, every game, has a history,” said Arteta.
“This one is a special one, and we are ready to face that tomorrow.”