Arteta: Arsenal's Carabao Cup final defeat to Man City will only make us better

Arsenal must learn the lessons from their Carabao Cup final loss to Man City and use that pain to help 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 are still well placed to win this season's Premier League - currently leading Pep Guardiola's team by nine points, albeit having played a game more - while they also face quarter-final ties in both the FA Cup and Champions League.

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

"Immediately I could sense that [disappointment] and, as well, the way we look at ourselves and the things that we could have done better, and how the game can shift as well at that level from the first and second half," he said.

"And that's something that we need to manage better. And this is 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 ball of poison that you have in your tummy, take that as quick as possible out with clarity. How can I use that to make myself better, to make the team better?

"And there is a part that I think has to be there and I think this is not going to go in the next 30 years. Because when you have the opportunity to win a final in Wembley, you have to get it done.

"So that has to stay there and that'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 that and make sure that that fire is still in that belly, remembering 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 tricky-looking last-eight tie at Southampton on Saturday night.

"It's a huge competition and very closely related to the history of our football club. We are going to play a team who are in a really good moment," he said of an in-form Saints side currently riding high in sixth place in the Championship.

"They've won a lot of games recently," he added. "We are ready for them and we want to go to Wembley again. We will be ready for that."

"It is the magic of the FA Cup that every scenario, every context has a history. This is a special game. We are ready to face that tomorrow."

And there was some 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 has confirmed he could be back within "days".

"No, it's not [that serious]. It looked really bad and Noni was really 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 Netherlands defender Jurrien Timber are both in contention to feature on the south coast, but forward Eberechi Eze is still sidelined with the calf issue he picked up prior to the Carabao Cup final and will miss out.

"He's out," Arteta added. "With him, I cannot say how long because he is a special character."