View 3 Images

As the dust settles on an other dismal result for Arsenal , Mikel Arteta has found himself in the firing line. The Gunners’ shock 2-1 defeat to Southampton in the FA Cup quarter-finals marked their second cup exit in as many games.

There were worrying signs for the Gunners as uncharacteristically poor defending allowed the Saints to snatch a late victory at St Mary's. Any hopes that Arteta’s men would bounce back after their Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester City before the international break were seemingly misguided.

The north Londoners cannot dwell on their recent disappointments, however, as they prepare for a crucial Champions League quarter-final tie against Sporting CP on Tuesday.

Perhaps even more important is Saturday’s fixture at home against Bournemouth , as Arsenal look to weather this storm and maintain their nine-point lead in the Premier League table. Now, Mirror Football takes a look at two of latest news stories involving the Gunners.

FOLLOW OUR ARSENAL FB PAGE! Latest Gunners news and more on our dedicated Facebook page

Theo Walcott pointed the blame at Arteta following Saturday night’s loss by calling out the manager’s "nervous energy." Both the Gunners boss and his side in recent years have been accused of not being able to get over the line when it comes to the business end of the season.

The defeat to Southampton exacerbated those fears, with some believing their poor display can bleed into and derail their Premier League title pursuit. Arteta’s former Arsenal team-mate Walcott, also formerly of Southampton, feels the Spaniard’s touchline antics are doing little to calm his players down.

View 3 Images

He told BBC : "They have to not let the season run away from them. Everything they have built this season, don't let it affect them. They have been in this situation before and they don't want to relive that.

"Visually watching Mikel on the sidelines, it was elements of previous years where that energy reflected into the team. It was a nervous energy, it was very tense.

"Not just Mikel but a lot of the staff were out there at times. It was like too many cooks in the kitchen, too many messages. Play your best team was the right thing to do tonight. It's easy if I say that now, but you want a reaction off the cup final and it wasn't that tonight, it was worse."

View 3 Images

Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo slammed the Spanish media at the weekend for their constant speculation about Julian Alvarez ’s summer transfer. Alvarez is reportedly being eyed as a key target by the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Barcelona .

But, speaking before Atletico’s La Liga defeat to Barcelona, Cerezo suggested Alvarez could remain at the club next season, taking a dig at the gathered media in the process. He said: "You are crossing the line a little with [questions and reports about] Alvarez. He's an Atletico Madrid player and has a long contract with the club."

Barcelona went on to secure a victory, with Robert Lewandowski - the same player Alvarez would be expected to replace should he make the switch - scoring a late winner from the bench.