Micah Richards slams Mikel Arteta decision after Arsenal’s FA Cup exit | Football

Micah Richards has issued a Premier League title warning to Arsenal after their FA Cup defeat to Southampton and criticised Mikel Arteta for not playing David Raya.

An Arsenal side who had outside chances of winning a historic quadruple just two weeks ago have now fallen short in two competitions.

The Gunners lost 2-0 to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final before the international break before being knocked out of the FA Cup by Championship side Southampton.

Arsenal’s first back-to-back defeats of the season means the club’s only hopes of winning a trophy this season lie in the Premier League and Champions League.

Mikel Arteta’s side boast a nine-point lead at the top of the Premier League but Manchester City have a game in hand and a home match against Arsenal to try and close the gap.

Man City stumbled twice before the international break, dropping points against Nottingham Forest and West Ham, but beat Arsenal in a Wembley final before thumping Liverpool 4-0 to storm into the FA Cup semi-finals.

Richards now expects Pep Guardiola’s team to push Arsenal ‘all the way’ in the title race and insists the Gunners’ recent slump will be concerning for Arteta.

But the ex-England defender believes Arteta could have made life easier for himself by picking first-choice goalkeeper Raya ahead of back-up Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Richards admitted Arrizabalaga, who made a howler in the Carabao Cup final, was not at fault for either of Southampton’s goals at St Mary’s but was still baffled by Arteta’s decision not to ‘play his best team’ with a trophy on the line.

‘There is going to be so much noise around them now,’ Richards said on BBC One after Arsenal’s FA Cup exit.

‘With Arsenal against Man City you can get beat in a final. Tonight you asked me if I would play [David] Raya. I don’t think it was anything to do with him in terms of them losing, but you have to play your best team.

‘It was only a couple of weeks ago people were saying Arsenal could do the quadruple, now they are in two competitions.

‘Man City, after what they did earlier on [beating Liverpool 4-0], they look like they are going to push them all the way for the league and the Champions League – anyone can win that.

‘The most disappointing thing for me was watching them and their attitude.

‘They have been excellent defensively, in transitions they have been very good, the shape has been good and the effort has been as good as anyone.

‘For them to turn up the way they did today, I thought was very poor.’