"It was not good enough and we paid for that."
Arsène Wenger cut a frustrated figure after his team lost for the first time in 20 matches in Wednesday's EFL Cup quarter-final defeat to Southampton.
The boss spoke to Arsenal Player afterwards, and here's what he said.
- Read the report
- 'We didn't have the right urgency'
- The latest on Mohamed Elneny
- Holding - Early goal made it tough
on the game…
It’s not only a disappointing night because we are out, but it’s a disappointing night because the performance was disappointing. I question our urgency level, our focus from the start on. It was not good enough and we paid for that. Overall, I think that is the most disappointing. It can happen that you go out of the competition, but our first 45 minutes were just not good enough and not at the level of required concentration. In the second half we responded well, but overall for me, that’s the most disappointing.
on what he said at half-time…
That what we did there was not Arsenal. It’s not the way you can stay in the competition and that we want a different response. I think it was there, but overall it’s a disappointing night and I must say, Southampton deserved to qualify and well done to them. They were ready from the start on and we were not.
on whether it was a learning experience…
It is a learning experience but it’s still disappointing. People will say I made many, many changes. But look at the names of the players who were on the pitch tonight. We had plenty of Premier League games on the pitch.
on whether the squad was strong enough squad to win the competition…
Yes, I felt we had a squad that could win it. We had the luck to play at home. It’s disappointing to have a crowd like we have, you can give them some satisfaction in this competition as well and the way we started the game, I think it’s disappointing.
on losing the 19-game unbeaten run…
I don’t think I can moan about the momentum in the Premier League, that is important for us. I knew that in the League Cup that could happen, but it’s disappointing to lose the game more than the run we have. The run we want to keep in the Premier League, but I am very disappointed tonight because there are questions on important things. You know, when you turn up in the first 45 minutes we played.
on Elneny…
It’s sickness only, it’s not an injury.
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