Mikel Arteta: 'Arsenal must transform the pain of defeat into motivation for victory'

After two consecutive defeats in the FA Cup and the League Cup, coach Mikel Arteta urges Arsenal players to convert the anguish from recent outcomes into driving force for progress.

The Spanish tactician has repeatedly emphasized to his players that they must confront the failures in the FA Cup quarter-final and the English League Cup final, while remembering that Arsenal are still competing in the Premier League and Champions League.

Immediately ahead for the London club is the Champions League quarter-final first leg at Sporting Lisbon, and they must dismiss external doubts about their familiar late-season decline. Speaking on Monday, Arteta stressed that composure is the most crucial factor at this moment.

"What needs to be done is to maintain clarity. Instead of panicking, we need to understand why we failed. When you analyze and accept, you become better. That is precisely what we must do," he said. "Take a comprehensive view of how difficult everything is. Feel the pain, feel the emotion, and use them to improve the situation. We have discussed some issues internally, and I am confident the team will demonstrate that tomorrow."

Arteta also emphasized that he understands the players' desire: "I know how much this means to them and how they want it. This is the moment to show it. We must do it at the highest level. The team is more eager than ever, very excited and extremely determined."

The Arsenal manager received positive news regarding the squad as center-back Gabriel Magalhães, midfielder Declan Rice, and forward Leandro Trossard are all ready for the match against Sporting. They were among the 10 Arsenal players absent during the recent FIFA Days national team fixtures due to various issues.

Meanwhile, Bukayo Saka and Jurriën Timber did not travel to Portugal with the full team, but Arteta hopes both can recover in time to face Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday. Currently, Arsenal lead Manchester City by 9 points in the title race.

Arteta also revealed that he asked forward Viktor Gyökeres about information related to his former club Sporting. Gyökeres will have his first return to face the club that helped him become a globally renowned striker.

"Of course I asked him, to better understand the operations, culture here, and to gather information that can be used advantageously for us," Arteta stated. "They possess many qualities, what they are doing is remarkable, and their home record is truly impressive."

Arteta added that he sensed Gyökeres is "very eager" to return to face Sporting. According to the Arsenal coach, the forward always expresses gratitude for his time with the Portuguese club.

"He is filled with appreciation for the period he spent here," Arteta said. "You can see that through how he talks about the club, the players, the coaching staff, and everyone around the team. The experiences at Sporting were an extremely important part of his career journey."