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Granit Xhaka questions Arsenal's mentality after Aston Villa defeat

Xhaka: "Now we have to win the FA Cup and we have more pressure."

Granit Xhaka says the defeat at Aston Villa increases the pressure on Arsenal to win the FA Cup
Image: Granit Xhaka says the defeat at Aston Villa increases the pressure on Arsenal to win the FA Cup

Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka has questioned the squad's mentality following Tuesday's 1-0 Premier League defeat at Aston Villa.

The result left Mikel Arteta's side needing to win the FA Cup final against Chelsea on August 1 to qualify for the Europa League.

Arsenal will finish outside the top six for the first time in 25 years and Xhaka knows they failed at Villa Park.

"In my opinion, you can't come here and play like this. It's not good enough and you can't play with this mentality," he told the club's website.

"It was not enough to take something from [the game] and we knew if we won and then won the last game as well we could have got into the Europa League.

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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Aston Villa's win over Arsenal in the Premier League

"But now we have to win the FA Cup and we have more pressure. But we will do everything to win the FA Cup now.

"I think it was Aston Villa, their fight, they put everything out in each half and in my opinion they deserved the three points."

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Arsenal are tenth in the table ahead of their final Premier League match of the campaign against relegation-threatened Watford at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday. The highest they can finish now is eighth.

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