Although an early exit out of a domestic cup is nothing anyone wants, a third round exit may actually benefit Arsenal in the long run, going forward for the season ahead. For example, the stress of less competitions to deal with is always an interesting prospect, especially for a team that is historically plagued with injuries at a crucial time in the season.
There is no shame in losing a cup game against respectable opposition like Southampton, based on the fact they give top teams a real test as they did again at The Emirates. The game in truth felt like more of a second string match-up with the likes of Diaby, Podolski and Rosicky all getting rare starts while Wenger opted to rest most of his key players after their impressive 3-0 win over Aston Villa on the weekend; Chilean forward Alexis Sanchez being the only real exception as he showed his class with a 25+ yard costless-kick strike which had Forster scrambling as the ball flew into the corner of the net to break the deadlock.
Goals from Pellé (penalty) and a wonder hit from Clyne gave Koeman's team a 2-1 win, as they progress into the next round of the competition; but in truth it is not the end of the world - some of the youth players were able to showcase themselves on the big stage for the first-team, and despite the fact they lost, it was not embarrassing and they'll learn from the experience.
Many will argue they are devaluing the competition by the lack of seriousness shown (in regards to the team line-up which was put out, not considered exciting for the fans who turn up for the games) but Southampton have the potential to go far in this tournament whilst Arsenal will now focus on the Premier League title challenge as well as doing well in the Champions League and attempting the same in the FA Cup starting early next year. The Gunners have almost always been regarded as a team that are "not quite there" in terms of challenging for major trophies, could this be the start of a change perhaps?
So to conclude, many will think Arsenal can win more silverware this campaign, but consistency and no major injuries will be key as usual. Easier said than done though.