Mikel Arteta has called on his Arsenal F.C. players to seize the moment and “bring it home” when they face Manchester City F.C. in Sunday’s League Cup final.
Gatekeepers News reports that speaking ahead of the showdown at Wembley Stadium, the Arsenal manager said the team must rise to the occasion as they aim to shake off a reputation for falling short in crucial moments.
Arsenal are enjoying a strong season, sitting nine points clear of City in the Premier League while also securing favourable quarter-final draws in both the UEFA Champions League and the FA Cup. Despite their form, the club has not won a major trophy in six years and has finished second in the league for three consecutive seasons.
Arteta admitted his side must show they can finally cross the line in big competitions.
“When it comes to the crucial moments and when it comes to the moment to attack a trophy and take it and bring it home, that’s when you need your big players to step up and make the difference,” he said during his pre-match press conference.
The Spaniard described the final as a pivotal point in Arsenal’s campaign, stressing that winning silverware remains the ultimate objective.
“At the end of the day it is about whether you win the trophy or not,” he added. “That is the most important thing once you get to the final.
“But in order to be there you have to do a lot of things. There are a lot of things the team has done so far, but we need to prove that point, that’s clear, and it has to be done on the pitch.”
Arteta has overseen a significant turnaround at Arsenal since leaving his role as assistant to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City to take charge at the Emirates Stadium in 2019. However, he has lifted just one major trophy during his tenure — the FA Cup in 2020, played at Wembley under coronavirus restrictions.
Guardiola, speaking at his own press conference, said his relationship with Arteta has evolved over time but dismissed suggestions of tension now that the two clubs are fierce rivals in the title race.
Arteta, meanwhile, said he remains grateful for the opportunity to work alongside Guardiola earlier in his coaching career.
“The fact we are never together and can never spend time together is important in our relationship, but it is not the most important,” he said.
“How I feel about him and the time we had together and what he did for me, the inspiration he’s been… that is never going to change.”
Looking ahead to the final, Arteta said he hopes captain Martin Ødegaard and defender Jurrien Timber will be fit for the match after missing Arsenal’s 2–0 win over Bayer 04 Leverkusen in midweek due to injury.
He declined to confirm who would start in goal for Arsenal. Guardiola, however, revealed that James Trafford will continue in goal for City ahead of first-choice goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, having started all the club’s domestic cup matches this season.
For Arsenal, Kepa Arrizabalaga has featured in domestic cup competitions, while David Raya remains the regular starter in the Premier League and Champions League.
