Arsenal's Carabao Cup final against Manchester City will only make us better, says manager Mikel Arteta

Arsenal must learn from their Carabao Cup final defeat against Man City and use that pain to get them over the line in this season’s Premier League title race, says manager Mikel Arteta.

The Gunners’ quadruple dreams came to an end after a 2-0 defeat by City before the international break, although they remain well placed to win this season’s Premier League – currently ahead of Pep Guardiola’s side by nine points despite having played a game more – while also facing the quarter-finals of both the FA Cup and Champions League.

However, Arteta wants his players to remember the hurt they felt at full-time at Wembley.

“I could sense it straight away (disappointment) and also the way we look at ourselves and the things we could have done better, and how the game can also change at that level from the first and second half,” he said.

“And it’s something we have to manage better. And it’s going to make us better, I’m sure, and we have to use (it) for the most important and beautiful part of the season.

“Use the first part. If it’s like a poison ball that you have in your stomach, get it out as quickly as possible with clarity. How can I use it to make myself better, to make the team better?

“And there’s a part that I think has to be there and I don’t think it’s going to go in the next 30 years. Because when you have the opportunity to win a final at Wembley, you’ve got to get it.

“So it has to stay there and it’s part of who you’re going to be in the next few weeks, in the next few months, in the next few years. And learn from it and make sure that fire is still in that belly, remember what happened.”

Arteta has set his players the target of an immediate return to Wembley for May’s FA Cup final, although they must first overcome a tough last-eight tie at Southampton on Saturday night.

“It’s a big competition and very closely related to the history of our football club. We’re going to play a team that’s in a very good moment,” he said of an informed Saints side currently riding high in seventh place in the Championship.

“They have won a lot of games lately,” he added. “We are ready for them and we want to go to Wembley again. We will be ready for that.”

“That’s the magic of the FA Cup that every scenario, every context has a history. It’s a special game. We’re ready to face it tomorrow.”

And there was good news on the injury front with the knee injury picked up on international duty by Noni Madueke not as serious as first thought.

The winger was forced off during the first half of England’s 1-1 friendly draw with Uruguay at Wembley last Friday, but Arteta confirmed he could be back within “days”.

“No, it’s not (that serious). It looked very bad and Noni was very worried, especially after what happened in his other knee a few weeks ago and he was out for six weeks.

“But no, it’s nowhere near that injury, so that was really good news.”

Captain Martin Odegaard and The Netherlands defend Jurrien Timber are both in contention to appear on the south coast, but forward Eberechi Eze remains on the sidelines with the calf problem he picked up before the Carabao Cup final and will miss out, while Piero Hincapie is also not available.

“He’s out,” Arteta said of Eze. “With him, I can’t say how long, because he is a special character.”