With Arsenal competing on four fronts, it is easy to forget that the Gunners are a game away from ending a six-year trophy drought.
Mikel Arteta won the FA Cup in his first ever season as a manager, but that was during COVID, meaning our manager is yet to have the experience of lifting a cup in front of thousands of Gooners. While some suggest the Spaniard has one eye on the Premiership, we are not good enough to be taking any chance of silverware for granted.
Experience vs Expectation
His mentor Pep Guardiola is at the other end of the scale. In his 17 years as a coach, the 55-year-old has only experienced two seasons where he did not win a trophy. Four of those trophies are the League Cup, two of which his opponent on Sunday was his assistant.
In other words, Mr Guardiola is not used to the feeling of being left empty-handed in a campaign. As a player and now a boss, he is a born winner whose attention to detail is obsessive. He will not just be approaching this weekend as a one-off game but as a potential route back into the title race. If Man City win their game in hand and beat us at the Etihad, the gap between second and the league leaders would be just three points. That is what he will be telling his squad in training this week: break hearts at Wembley, and who knows how their opponents react?
Momentum, Pressure and Legacy
The one advantage he has always had over his apprentice is a dressing room that knows how to get over the line.
That is what is fascinating about sport: how small details can change momentum.
A record fifth League Cup for Pep Guardiola puts potential doubts into a genuine friend’s head, with questions asked if he goes seven years without winning something in North London.
Alternatively, with his contract expiring next summer, there are whispers in Manchester about whether Pep has the appetite to keep doing this. That talk grows louder if he returns from Wembley this week without a winner’s medal.
Who said the League Cup does not matter?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
ADMIN COMMENT
So here are some simple rules which I must insist commenters follow….
You agree not to give any personal abuse to other Arsenal fans. Everyone is allowed to hold their own opinions even if you disagree with them. It COSTS NOTHING TO BE POLITE TO OTHER ARSENAL FANS.
CALLING ALL ARSENAL FANS! Anyone who would like to contribute an Article or Video opinion piece on JustArsenal, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us through this link…
For City it’s a momentum boost, for us it is a game changer. The feeling of lifting silverware. We haven’t done it in 6 years. Most players here haven’t won anything. If we win this cup as least significant as it is in the pecking order, it’s the start of something. If we win it and the league it’s suddenly 2 trophies.
I’m starving for trophies. This one means a lot to me. Wenger never took it seriously but I want it all and it’s a trophy up for grabs. With a break coming up. Imagine city out of 2 cups empty handed having to sit on that 2 weeks before a trip to Chelsea… Come on Arsenal, we must do this!
I think it matters enormously to both Arteta and Guardiola and the importance of winning the Carabao Cup means different things to both men.
For Guardiola, who has dominated English football for 10ish years, he is going through a lean spell and although in second place, City haven’t been firing as they used to and exiting the CL early only adds to the pressure. He has mountains of experience to draw on, but is the apetite still there? I am sure he wants to win this to kick start the trophy hunt as he has a winning mentality having proved it over and over again
As for Arteta, the memories of the FACup win are becoming ever more distant. He needs the win to propel the team towards victory in the other titles and to quash the naysayers who enjoy a pop at the club. The players need it too, having faced the disappointment of falling at the final hurdle 3 times.
For me, Arteta, the players and the club need this to be a winning afternoon.
Man City need the League Cup trophy more, because they got kicked out of UCL and would probably lose the EPL trophy this season
I hope Arteta will rest most of our key players, since we have a good chance to win EPL and reach UCL semifinal
Our squad rotation players deserve to be starters in League Cup final because of their efforts in the competition. Losing the League Cup trophy wouldn’t really matter if we can prevent our key players from getting injured
My starting line-up for the game:
……………………… Kepa
White . Mosquera . Calafiori . Lewis-Skelly
…………………………. Norgaard
……… Eze …………. Jesus
Madueke …………………………………………… Martinelli
…………………… Havertz
oh the arrogance
I’m just being realistic. It’s too risky to start our key players for the Carabao Cup game
we have not won a trophy in 6 years
we are not good enough to be putting our nose up to any Cup
if he puts out the 11 you said I would sack him the next day
Guardiola just stated that Trafford will play instead of Donnarumma
Our squad rotation players are good enough to beat Man City’s B team
The Carabao Cup reward is also not on a par with EPL and UCL. I’m sure Kroenke won’t appreciate it if our key players get injured or become unfit because of the Carabao Cup
he’s playing his second keeper not his second team
it’s not on a par ?
of course not but we don’t win those trophies do we ?
your making out that resting players mean we win the CL ?
surely this team winning a trophy will help more then having the weekend off ?
Resting key players means we’ll maximize our chances to win EPL, because we’ll minimize injury risk
so your saying if we play our strongest 11 but win the cup you think we have less chance of winning the PL ?
What, the arrogance of Pep playing his reserve keeper Dan?
GAI has explained his thoughts, not my idea of a team to beat city, but it’s his opinion.
Pep as won it all so if he thinks Trafford is best suited then I would imagine that’s not arrogance but he knows what he’s doing .
Surely as an Arsenal fan fan you want to see your best team out there to final win something,and Raya is miles ahead of kepa .
as long as mate if we win the same fans don’t act like it’s a big deal and say they think it will now cost us the title
Ken definitely will 😂
yeah and it’s my opinion to say it’s arrogant
we are not a good enough team to be saying no to trophies
Thankfully Arteta will agree with me
there is nothing better then seeing your team at Wembley and trying to win something
moments that will live forever
never that that for granted
Rest for what? There is a 2 week break coming lol
DaJuhi,
Where do you get the idea that there’s a two week break coming up. Most of our players will be on International duty.
That said Rice and Saka are being given one game off by the England manager. But all the others are involved in both games I believe.
would hate the idea though of us resting our players , just to lose a cup final , only for our players to go and play for their nations anyways
I’m with you there Dan.👍
Arsenal have gotten so greedy, I can’t see us resting any player, and from the little I have known of the Spaniard, he’ll be hard press to give even Kepa a sniff.
North-west’s best teams don’t attend London’s Mega-events just for fun. For these it is a really Big Day Out. If there is one Art-form / challenge their fans expect them to excel and be properly fired up in – it will be this Sunday’s Final.
Both Doku and Haarland pose more of a threat than any we have got up top. Balon Dor Rodri (likely) harbors a bogus reality thinking he can oversee a plan to stifle, usurp us and to see us beaten – he’s wrong. Football is as much about routine winning, good form, growth and about momentum? ARSENAL today tick all the boxes.
Unfortunately for Pep Guardiola the jig is up.
Huge cup final for both sides, I think it’s the decider for who wins the league, the feeling the winner will get will push them on to win it in May, hopefully we blow City away but I think it’s too close to call, I’ll go for a late set piece bit of wonder from big Gabriel popping up with a big header to win it for the Arsenal, COME ON YOU GUNNERS!
We want all the titles, no point in losing anything when you reach the final!
Let’s get it!
It’ll be interesting to see who Arteta plays in goal. I’m not sure either way to be honest.
Whether the result will have any bearing on the League remains to be seen, regarding momentum. But it sure would be nice if we could win to get that trophy winning feeling back that’s been missing for quite a while now.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS. 🏆🤞👍
Obviously we need it more ,billion spent and as of yet nothing to show for it ,fans keep saying “well other teams have spent as well “
Yes very true ,but they have actually achieved something with that spending (even spurs ).
Personally think it will be an easy win ,Man City have major flaws atm and we are on a roll .
Not sure what money has to brought in to it or are still trying to pick holes
We have spent 1b and here we are with probably the strongest depth squad in the prem and maybe europe
We do need the cup. It will breed even more confidence within the squad if we can get this over the line
City need it as much as us. They haven’t won anything thos last season and look destined to do the same this season
Onwards and upwards
I want trophies badly
I’m not a Trophy snob lol
It will fantastic if we win on Sunday
We should definitely go for it
The worst thing that could happen will be if BOTH clubs put out significantly weakened teams, and ruin what’s potentially a terrific spectacle (maybe even a classic).
On one hand, Man City need it more because they’re not favourites to win the EPL and they’re out of the UCL.
On the other hand, Arsenal have a terrible record in the League Cup and winning one now together could create the confidence/spirit/etc to perform better in the remaining competitions and finish the season on an unprecedented high.
Man City needs it more, because they are under tremendous pressure.
But Pep Guarrdiola is playing mind games by naming his starting shot stopper, long before minimum regulation time
We need it more, they have recently won 4 and we haven’t won it since 1992.