Arsenal will fancy their chances in the Carabao Cup this year.
The English league cup is a trophy which eluded Arsene Wenger, but now that Arsenal have a new head coach in Unai Emery, they could take it seriously. Commonly renamed due to sponsorship deals, it’s now called the Carabao Cup, and Arsenal made an impressive start last night.
They beat Brentford 3-1, courtesy of a first half brace from Danny Welbeck and a late solo goal from Alexandre Lacazette. Obviously, even when playing against lower tier opposition, the Gunners had to concede at least one goal. It wouldn’t be right if not.
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The win wasn’t the only positive Arsenal can take from last night, either. A few of their rivals bade farewell to the competition, those being Liverpool and Manchester United. Tottenham looked shaky, but they managed to get through to the next round in the end.
Arsenal’s young guns came through on the night, a common theme we have seen from them in recent history. The likes of Emile Smith Rowe and Ainsley Maitland-Niles when he returns from injury will be key to Emery’s side should they wish to progress, as he will look to rotate his squad from league play.
Although a lot of emphasis will be on winning the Europa League or finishing in the Premier League top four, I wouldn’t write Arsenal off winning the Carabao Cup. It’s not the most prestigious honour of all time, but I’m sure Emery will take it in his debut season.
Truth be told, during the closing stages of Wenger’s tenure, he didn’t have the right squad depth to rotate between competitions effectively. If you would have told Arsenal fans back then that even a player of Bernd Leno’s quality won’t make the starting XI in a few years time, then they’d have bitten your hand off.
I think that looking at all the teams remaining in the competition, Arsenal have to be one of the favourites. They are a team with a point to prove, and their tradition has always relied on trophies for success. Unlike a few other teams which I shan’t mention…
It’s obviously going to be a different tale through the season, but if Arsenal can keep a cool head and keep their match-winning momentum going, then I don’t see why they can’t pick up at least some silverware.
Which team do you think will win the Carabao Cup this season?