Arsenal has been handed a Carabao Cup third-round draw against Bolton, which is considered an easy matchup by many standards.
The Trotters currently play in League One, several tiers below Mikel Arteta’s side, making the Gunners clear favourites to win the fixture.
When Arteta first became the club’s manager, he led Arsenal to victory in the FA Cup and the Community Shield. However, their fans have been dreaming of a major title like the Premier League or the Champions League.
For many supporters, winning any trophy by the end of this season would signify significant progress, and the Carabao Cup presents the first opportunity to do so.
The competition is third in the hierarchy of domestic trophies that Arsenal can win, and some clubs do not prioritise it. Should Mikel Arteta and his team focus on winning it?
The Gunners have come close to winning the Premier League twice in consecutive seasons but have fallen short and it is easy to see why the Carabao Cup is not considered important but a trophy is a trophy and if Arteta takes it seriously then surely Arsenal have a good chance to win it.
We can win the Premier League and the Champions League this season, and our squad depth means we can also field a strong team in the Carabao Cup.
This could help us win the trophy and end our wait for some new gongs.
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I’m sure we do take it seriously but it’s obviously the 4th most important competition and whether we play our younger players or not, we always take it seriously, try our best to win it and want to win it. Rotation will seriously be required having seen our fixture list in both the PL and the CL, if that means using second string players in the CC, so be it.
Last season, GB, Arteta got lambasted for not ringing the changes sufficiently. This year, he’d be mad not to.
Don’t waste time on this pathetic competition. Plat the u dear-14 team.
Time to take the Carabao Cup seriously? Only as much as being used to rest starting players, get starters match fitness and form as deemed necessary, and prep youngsters for the real deal.
We should not risk any of the only 5 attackers and 3 best middfielders that we have,for playing in this competition.
Take it even further and not play one member of the squad.
Arteta has had to make a choice between the the two domestic cups and the UCL.
This is often a choice based upon money.
I believe Arsenal get substantially more cash by finishing in say the UCL quarter finals, than by winning either or both Cups.
Perhaps this year Arteta will make an effort to at least reach the final of one of the domestic cups, if only to give us trophy starved supporters something to brag about this season!!!
I suspect that we’re past taking either of the domestic cups that seriously now. Arsenal’s efforts in the EPL over the last two seasons in particular has effectively locked Arteta and the club into going all out to win it in 2024-25. Anything less will be a huge disappointment, to put it mildly and may have on-going ramifications.
The best time to get a domestic cup (or two) into the trophy room was after the initial 2019 FA Cup win. It would have provided the players with something that they don’t yet have – the “winning feeling”.
We all want Arsenal to win trophies, but you’ve got to start somewhere. Arteta has chosen to start at the top with the EPL. That’s fine, and some say it’s good to aim high from the start, except that if you fail, you’ve then got nothing in the trophy cabinet to show for it.
Bertie, I would hardly say that finishing 8th 8th 5th was starting at the top!!!
He’s certainly should have had two PL titles under this belt by now, but results haven’t gone our way for various reasons.
This season has to see some reward for the massive layout of cash and support from the Kronkies and the Carabo Cup should be part of that.
I didn’t make my meaning completely clear. My point is that in those earlier seasons you mention I think Arteta should have gone for a domestic cup (or the Europa League) more seriously, while building up to the last couple of seasons in the EPL. That didn’t happen as we know so when the (ultimately unsuccessful) push came for the titles in 2022-24 there was/is nothing in the trophy cabinet than that very early FA Cup success.
I’m not at all sure that winning the Carabo Cup now but not gaining the title in 2024-25 will be sufficient for KSE. Winning the/a cup would have, I think, been a useful “stepping stone” for Arteta in any of the earlier three seasons. but probably not now.
As you say, considerable funds have been expended (all on Arsenal’s books though – no free money from KSE) so I think we’re getting into “big prize or nothing” territory now. I’m not suggesting Arteta will be sacked if we’re unsuccessful in the EPL this season, but the ground on which he stands will be shakier.
i agree with GB, Arsenal do take all competitions seriously, e.g. Community Shield last season, but Carabao Cup is least of our priorities, don’t die in a ditch for this at any risk to the PL title
i also find it kind of cringe when so called ‘big clubs’ over celebrate the Carabao Cup, if won in addition to PL/CL then great, but stand alone a bit ‘also ran’ embarrassing, and definitely not worthy of open top bus