Premier League legend Alan Shearer (Picture: Getty)
Alan Shearer believes it will be ‘incredibly tough’ for Arsenal to win the Premier League after their shock FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Southampton.
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’s on Saturday.
The Saints led at half-time through Ross Stewart’s opener but Viktor Gyokeres came off the bench to equalise for Arsenal, who were dreaming of a historic quadruple just two weeks ago.
The momentum appeared to be with Mikel Arteta’s side at that stage but Southampton responded superbly and clinched a famous win through Shea Charles’ 85th-minute goal.
The shock defeat means Arsenal fail to reach the FA Cup semi-finals, having lost to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final in their previous game before the international break.
The Gunners are still favourites to win their first Premier League title since 2004, leading second-placed Man City by nine points.
But Premier League record goalscorer and England legend Shearer has questioned the ‘mental’ impact losing to Southampton will have on Arsenal and their title aspirations.
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Southampton sealed a famous win at St Mary’s (Picture: Getty)
‘This is not a fluke,’ Alan Shearer on BBC One as Southampton celebrated a brilliant victory in the FA Cup. ‘Victory went to the better side on the night.’
Speaking to Betfair, Shearer added: ‘After Arsenal got knocked out of the FA Cup, it will be incredibly tough for them, mentally, to go on and achieve what they want to achieve.’
Shearer had earlier backed Man City to win the FA Cup following their emphatic 4-0 quarter-final win over Liverpool.
Arsenal crashed out of the FA Cup (Picture: Getty)
Guardiola’s side built on the momentum of winning the Carabao Cup by thrashing Arne Slot’s defending Premier League champions at the Etihad Stadium.
Erling Haaland returned to form with a brilliant hat-trick and Man City’s January signing Antoine Semenyo continued to impress with the other goal.
‘It wouldn’t surprise me if Man City won the FA Cup,’ Shearer said. ‘They’ve already got one trophy in the bag.
The Saints go marching in…to the semi-finals of the FA Cup! Just look at those celebrations!#BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/M4eCr3Mp6p— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) April 4, 2026
‘I don’t think they’re going to win the league. They can’t win the Champions League.
‘I know they’ve got a tough draw, but I do think with their history and with their experience, they may be the favourites to win it.
‘Now they’ve got through the quarter-final against Liverpool, I think they’ll win it.’
Mikel Arteta reacts to Arsenal’s FA Cup defeat
After Arsenal’s humbling FA Cup exit at the hands of second-tier Southampton, Arteta urged his players to ‘show what we’re made of’.
The Gunners begin a two-legged Champions League quarter-final against Sporting on Tuesday night before resuming their Premier League campaign against Bournemouth at the week.
Asked what went wrong for Arsenal at St Mary’s, Arteta said: ‘The result and especially the way we conceded the two goals.
Mikel Arteta and Arsenal after the FA Cup defeat (Picture: Getty)
‘We had so much dominance in and around the box. We conceded the first goal in a very unusual way for us, the second one from direct play as well.
‘We had two massive chances and needed to capitalise on that. If you make defending errors we made today it’s very difficult to be in the semi-final.
‘Southampton are a very good side on a very good run and you have to congratulate them. Now we have to show what we are made of.’
Saints boss Tonda Eckert, meanwhile, told BBC Sport: ‘We put in a good shift today. It was a challenge, we knew it was going to be a tough game.
‘The second half always has the chance to shift and we reacted quite well. The belief was always there, it’s not been a problem.’
Asked whether Southampton’s win was written in the stars on the 50th anniversary of their FA Cup triumph, Eckert added: ‘I think that’s more a story for the media.’
Southampton, sitting seventh in the Championship, resume their play-off push on Tuesday night against Wrexham.
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