ARSENE Wenger offered no excuses for his team's exit from the FA Cup as Colin Kazim-Richards' goal took Blackburn Rovers into the last 16.

"We had 11 international players on the pitch at the start of the game," the Arsenal manager said. "We had a lot of the ball and [Blackburn] defended well. We had 16 shots at goal, they only had one shot at goal.

"We were not good enough to win the game, it is as simple as that. Not one defeat is acceptable. You are in this job to win every single game."

Arsenal now face the possibility of an eighth season without silverware, with the Champions League offering their only remaining hope. Boos rang out around the Emirates Stadium at the final whistle.

"You do not want your fans to be happy when you lose at home to Blackburn, when the team has one shot at goal," Wenger added. "It is very painful and very disappointing to lose a game like that. What is important now is to focus on the next one. The season is not over. We have a massive game on Tuesday night [against Bayern Munich] and have to show we have a response in the team."

Rovers' Michael Appleton called the win the "highest point" of his short managerial career.

The 37-year-old, who started the season in charge at Portsmouth and then had a short spell with Blackpool, said: "To come to Arsenal and get through a cup tie is one thing, but to keep a clean sheet and defend as well as we did is another, and that is testament to our players."

Blackburn, who have yet to concede in this season's tournament, fashioned an early chance when a free-kick from the left was flashed through the Arsenal six-yard box but Marcus Olsson knocked the loose ball wide.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain charged into the Blackburn penalty area and cut back a pass across the six-yard box but Bradley Orr hacked clear.

Arsenal fans behind the goal at the Clock End called for a penalty when Tomas Rosicky's cross hit Scott Dann on the arm but the referee was not interested.

Arsenal forced a series of corners and in the 25th minute Abou Diaby rose to power a header goalwards from Rosicky's delivery but Rovers goalkeeper Jake Kean beat it away at full stretch.

Kean palmed away a looping header from Thomas Vermaelen before Gervinho, set up by Rosicky, missed the best chance of the first half by shooting wide.

In the second half Rosicky crashed a 20-yard effort off the bar and Rovers defender Grant Hanley made an important block as Gervinho cut in from the right.

Then, out of nothing, Blackburn snatched the lead. Wojciech Szczesny could only parry Martin Olsson's effort from the left and Kazim-Richards' scuffed follow-up bounced in off the post.

Arsenal immediately went on the offensive but a Diaby shot was charged down, Kean somehow saved a close-range header from Theo Walcott, and Olivier Giroud's stoppage-time effort was blocked.