Arsenal: Mikel Arteta has injuries, errors and a charging Man City to worry about as Gunners wobble at key moment

Mikel Arteta said the pain of Arsenal's Carabao Cup final defeat to Man City would help them in the run-in. Keeping the narrative positive after their FA Cup exit to Southampton won't be so easy.

Do Arsenal have the temperament of champions?

That is the question that will now be asked of his squad in the aftermath of a shock quarter-final defeat at St Mary's.

Lower-league opposition in the last eight – regardless of Southampton's recent form – was a huge opportunity to go back to Wembley and set up the chance of another final to end that six-year trophy wait.

Their draw with Sporting in the Champions League quarter-finals is also billed as a favourable one. Their lead in the Premier League should be seen as commanding.

But nothing seems certain for this Arsenal team now.

Arteta's solid, dependable unit is wobbling at the crucial moment.

Where previously there was cold efficiency there is now vulnerability.

Chatter of a quadruple is now talk of whether they will win anything at all.

That City win in the league cup final felt like a significant blow at the time. Their 4-0 thumping of Liverpool earlier on Saturday, when coupled with Arsenal's tame loss on the south coast, should now be sounding alarm bells in north London.

City are nine points behind Arsenal in the Premier League but have a game in hand. After a tricky home test with Bournemouth next weekend and the second leg of that Sporting tie, Arsenal go to the Etihad.

An Arsenal squad and fanbase scarred by City hunting them down in previous title races will undeniably - and rightly - be concerned.

City have shown they know what it takes to win. For Arsenal, the next two weeks will be a gruelling examination of their character - and whether they have that champion temperament.

Arsenal's nervousness about taking the final step to glory seems to be playing out in individual errors being made at key moments.

At Wembley it was Kepa spilling a cross for Nico O'Reilly to score Man City's opener, at St Mary's Ben White mistimed his jump to allow Ross Stewart to power in the first for Southampton.

That's now eight goals from Arsenal errors in the past 23 games, according to Opta. There was just one in the 28 games before that.