Defiant Arsene Wenger has insisted Arsenal deserved to beat Watford as they crashed out of the FA Cup at the quarter-final stage.

Goals from Odion Ighalo and Adlene Guedioura sent the Hornets to Wembley and piled the pressure on the Frenchman.

Danny Welbeck netted a late consolation to set up a grandstand finish, but the same player couldn't convert with the goal at his mercy just moments later to send the tie into a replay.

The Gunners defended poorly from a throw-in to allow Ighalo to open the scoring on the turn just before the break, before Guedioura doubled their advantage with a 20-yard thunderbolt from man of the match Troy Deeney's layoff.

It now means Arsenal's only realistic chance of silverware this season is a first league title in over a decade, unless they can reverse a 2-0 deficit against Barcelona in the Nou Camp in midweek.

In pictures: Arsenal 1-2 Watford

"Our fantastic run has come to an end on a day where we felt that our performance deserved a win," Wenger said.

"Credit to Watford, they created few chances but took them all. It's sad because we gave everything.

"The players don't miss on purpose. You have to be realistic. Of course on the first goal, we made a mistake. It was not possible medically to have started Welbeck."

While admitting his side face an uphill struggle to go to Catalonia and progress in Europe, Wenger has refused to rule it out.

"It is very difficult against Barcelona, but we have to see it as a challenge and try to make the impossible possible," he added.

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