Arsenal and Manchester City are set to clash at Wembley, but this Carabao Cup final carries extra weight. While Arsenal currently lead the Premier League and are in the Champions League quarter-finals, Manchester City were eliminated from the Champions League by Real Madrid.
Both clubs are still in the FA Cup, but the Carabao Cup final offers a chance to gain a psychological advantage. The two teams could potentially meet three times before the season ends, including a league match at the Etihad Stadium in April and a possible FA Cup tie.
Arsenal’s Quest for Silverware
Arsenal are aiming to shake off their reputation of falling short in recent years. The Gunners are seeking their first trophy since their 2020 FA Cup final victory against Chelsea. Since then, manager Mikel Arteta’s former mentor, Pep Guardiola, has won the Champions League, four Premier League titles, the FA Cup, the EFL Cup, the Uefa Super Cup, and the Fifa Club World Cup.
Since Arteta’s last success, Arsenal have suffered losses in the Europa League semi-final, EFL Cup semi-finals, and last season’s Champions League semi-final. While Arsenal have reached a final, Arteta has only won four of his past 16 meetings against Guardiola, while losing nine.
Upson’s View: Arteta Faces Greater Pressure
According to former Arsenal and England defender Matt Upson, Arteta needs the win more. Upson stated that Arteta has not won enough trophies during his time at Arsenal, considering how well they have performed.
Upson added that it has been a case of ‘nearly but not quite’ for Arteta, particularly after finishing second in the Premier League. He believes Arteta needs to put some silverware in the trophy cabinet.
While Upson acknowledges that both managers need the win for different reasons, he feels the overall pressure is on Arteta, but the short-term pressure is on Guardiola.
Upson believes it is very important City get that win.