Arteta wants final flop to fuel Arsenal's fire

LONDON, March 22 : Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said he wanted his side's chastening 2-0 League Cup final loss to Manchester City to fuel the fire in the belly of his players, who remain in the hunt for three major trophies this season.

Premier League leaders Arsenal arrived as favourites on Sunday to win their first trophy since 2020, but were steamrolled by a dominant City, who won the competition for the ninth time.

The London side's lacklustre showing will inevitably raise concerns among the club's fans at a crucial stage of the season as they seek their first Premier League title since 2004 and challenge for both the Champions League and FA Cup.

Arteta said his players would have to prove they can overcome what he acknowledged had been a painful and disappointing setback.

"What this team has done in the last eight months has been incredible and we're going to use this disappointment and use this fire in the belly to have the most amazing two months that we have ever had together," he told reporters.

It was only the second defeat in all competitions this year for Arsenal and follows four straight wins in the Premier League. Two of those, however, have been by single-goal margins with another against Everton requiring two last-gasp goals.

Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright described the loss on Sky Sports as "a really poor performance".

Arteta said his side would have to examine what exactly went wrong, acknowledging that City were sharper in every department, with the exception of the first 15 minutes.

While City's first goal came after a rising cross slipped through Arsenal keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga's fingers, their fans were left bewildered by their side's repeated holding of possession in their own box, seemingly