Arsene Wenger says that Man City’s dominance in the Premier League makes them favourites for tomorrow’s Carabao Cup final, but says last season’s FA Cup semi-final victory should give his players the belief they need to triumph at Wembley.
It’s the first time the two sides have met in a final, and the League Cup has been one with a particularly chequered history for the Gunners, however it’s a real chance to add another trophy to the cabinet.
Speaking ahead of the game, the Arsenal manager admitted that Pep Guardiola’s team are the bookie’s favourites.
“Because Manchester City are dominating the league, that is in the head of everybody and so maybe we are more underdogs than in the FA Cup semi-final last year,” he said.
“So I agree that we are maybe underdogs, but we have to believe in our quality. The history, the fact we have done it before, it shows you ‘why not do it again?’
“You must have enough belief to think you can do it, that on the day you manage to turn up with the right spirit and the right mentality, the right belief.
“In the final, everyone says you have to be motivated, but it is as well about finding the right balance between focus, motivation and being relaxed enough to play our game.”
Arsenal are waiting for Aaron Ramsey to come through a fitness test, and will have Mesut Ozil available, although Henrikh Mkhitaryan will be cup tied.
Come on you gooners!!
How can we be underdogs or favourites? No one knows who or what the fuck will turn up sunday.
At least we’re not predictable heh
Lol….absolutely spot on!
What if our unpredictability is entirely predictable?
Consistent in patches…
Consistently inconsistent
and inconsistently consistent?
Hope we don’t have the ‘caught in the headlights’ start and concede early. If we keep it 0-0 not by luck but playing a good game for the first 30 mins, then it should be an even contest for the rest…except of our ability to implode at any point.
Squeaky bum time!
Hope we end with the cup, obviously.
Tough match but here’s hoping we play above our recent selves and the luck goes our way.
I think at the moment we could beat them maybe one out of ten games. We are that far behind. Our midfield is so poor. Xhaka Ramsey elneny and jack. That’s probably the poorest midfield quartet to choose from in top half of league. How Wenger has not addressed it is gross professional misconduct. We are all so desperate we start pinning hopes on players like Maitland-Niles who will not make top grade in a million years. Yes I’m aware he is young but e ain’t good enough and that’s the bottom line. Wenger will persist as he does and… Read more »
Having got that out the way. I’m praying it’s the one in ten. Coyg
You do know that Walcott and Ox are gone…and without Ramsey we’d also be a couple FA Cups lighter…
I do know there gone and it took 10 years to let Theo go. That’s my point. I also mention a team good enough to win the league not the fa cup. Steve morrow and Andy linegan helped win cups. I’m very grateful to both but neither were good enough for team that wants to win league titles. You have probably never heard of them, look em up.
Completely agree. We have been far too lenient with players who underperform. We have not reinforced well from market in recent years and have been shy of spending on the technical quality we need. Instead we have mollycoddled on players we should have played hard ball with. Point in case the Ox. Potentially good but we should have forced him to sign on the dotted line, if not we should have promoted Gnabry. Instead we lost both. recent winodw this January was a wasted opportunity, instead of fixing midfield and ensuring we have different capabilities in the locker, we lost… Read more »
I agree. But linigan won the league with us in 91 when Adams was in jail?
He did easy tiger but only played 7 games and 3 of those were as sub. We need squad players of course but the last 14 years Wenger has tried to convince us that squad players are good enough starters.
Gone??? Next you’ll be telling me Highbury’s gone too and we’ve moved into a massive fancy stadium with the expectation of competing in the top level of Europe every season without exception. Who the hell are you ? Who is “Giroud” anyway mate, he must have gone too did he!!?! Oh crap…..
Did you miss the last 2 transfer windows??
We have a good record against City in cup games recently. Just saying. COYG!
They are a very strong team, obviously. They lost to Wigan a few days ago, in a match they very much wanted to win. They did not start De Bruyne, but they did start David Silva. Wigan did not start Mesut Ozil or Aubameyang.
All i want is to walk into work on Monday with a smirk on my face.
It depends on which Arsenal team shows up. We have a chance and then no chance. Do they give a shit or not – it all boils down to that.
plus which type of refereeing we get….we have been undone in similarly important matches in the past by blatantly terrible officiating. If the ‘right’ Arsenal turns up and we get a fair ref, I’ll fancy our chances.
Regardless of whatever, the whole world is watching, just go out there lads, wear the shirt proudly, play arsenal football, if you do lose, lose gallantly,but ffs, none of that ‘deer caught in the headlight’ nonsense today. COYG!!
Surely there’s VAR today?
Last year we beat these oily fuckers then the chavs. It’s just the other way around this year.
For me, a 3 at the back tomorrow.
…………………………Auba…………………………..
……………..Ozil………………..Ramsey…………….
Klasinac…………………………………………Bellerin
………………….Jack………Granit……………………
………..Monreal……………………..Koscielny………
……………………….Mustafi…………………………..
…………………………………………………………….
……………………….Ospina……………………………
COYG
Usually I’d be staying up late excited for a cup final (kickoff is 12:30 am local time), but this time I don’t even want to watch it…
Remember when we played so pants against manure in the 2005 family cup final and somehow managed to take the game to penalties and won lol if that is how we win today I won’t complain – the amount of times we have played the better football and lost, makes me think we are due a flukey win when it counts!!!!