Mikel Arteta has urged his Arsenal side to “bring it home” as he prepares for Sunday’s Carabao Cup final against Manchester City, desperate to shed the Gunners’ near-macho label.
Arsenal are on course for an unprecedented quadruple title, nine points ahead of second-placed Manchester City in the Premier League, and have also enjoyed favorable draws in the quarter-finals of the Champions League and FA Cup.
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But six years without a trophy and after finishing second in the Premier League for three consecutive years, Arteta admits his side must prove they can get across the finish line.
“When it comes down to crunch time, when it’s time to attack and bring the trophy home, that’s when you need your big players to step up and make a difference,” he told his pre-match press conference.
The Spaniard said the Wembley final will be one of the “defining moments” of Arsenal’s season and expressed his confidence that his team can win.
“At the end of the day, it depends on whether you win trophies or not,” he added. “Coming into the final, that’s the most important thing.
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“But to get there you have to do a lot of things. The team has done a lot so far but we need to prove it, that’s clear and it has to be done on the pitch.”
Arteta has transformed Arsenal’s fortunes since resigning as Guardiola’s assistant coach at Manchester City in 2019 and taking charge at the Emirates Stadium.
But he has only won one major trophy during his reign – guiding his team to FA Cup glory in 2020 at an empty Wembley Stadium amid coronavirus restrictions.
Guardiola said in his pre-match press conference that his relationship with Arteta had changed over time but played down any talk of any friction now that they are title rivals.
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The Arsenal boss says he is forever grateful for the opportunity he had to learn from Pep Guardiola early in his coaching career.
Arteta said: “We have never been together and can never spend time together, which is important for our relationship, but it is not the most important thing.”
“The way I feel about him, the time we spent together, everything he did for me, the inspiration he has always been… that will never change.”
Arteta hopes captain Martin Odegaard and Jurien Timber can return to Wembley form after missing the 2-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen in midweek through injury.
He declined to confirm who would start in goal.
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Guardiola says James Trafford will replace No.1 goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma at Manchester City after starting all domestic cup games this season.
Kepa Arrizabalaga has been Arsenal’s goalkeeper in domestic cup competitions, but in the Premier League and Champions League, he is second only to David Raya.
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