Mikel Arteta Admits Arsenal Players Need to ‘Recharge’ After ‘Painful’ Carabao Cup Exit

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Arsenal suffered a significant defeat to Newcastle United and will have ten days to regroup before their next match.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has admitted that his players must “recharge” following their “painful” 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg. The Gunners were knocked out of the competition, losing 4-0 on aggregate, and Arteta believes a break is necessary to regroup and refocus.

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Arteta described the defeat as a “tough one” and acknowledged the high expectations the team had going into the match. “We need to swallow this one, it is a tough one,” Arteta said after the match. “We had a lot of expectations. We knew the difficulty of the task because of the result we brought from London, but there is nothing we can do right now. What we could do was on the pitch a few minutes ago, now we have to look forward.”

To aid in their recovery, Arsenal will travel to Dubai for warm-weather training while their Premier League rivals play their FA Cup fourth-round matches. Arteta emphasized the importance of this break, stating, “While we are in Dubai, recharge and go again because we still have a lot to play for.”

The Gunners have had a busy schedule, playing 12 times in 41 days, and Arteta believes the break will help his players physically and mentally. “Physically, we were tired, and emotionally it was a very different game,” Arteta admitted. “This break will be crucial for us to regroup and come back stronger.”

Despite the disappointment of the Carabao Cup exit, Arsenal’s hopes in Europe remain alive as they qualified automatically for the knockout phases of the Champions League. Arteta will be looking to use the break to prepare his team for the challenges ahead.

The break in Dubai will be an opportunity for the players to recharge and come back stronger for the remainder of the season.