Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has called on his players to seize the moment and end their six-year trophy drought by winning Sunday’s Carabao Cup final against Manchester City at Wembley, insisting that reaching finals is no longer enough the Gunners must now “bring it home.”
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Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Friday, March 20, 2026, Arteta acknowledged Arsenal’s remarkable season nine points clear at the top of the Premier League, strong Champions League and FA Cup quarter-final positions but stressed that without silverware, the campaign risks being labelled another “nearly men” story after three consecutive second-placed Premier League finishes.
“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,” Arteta said. He described the Wembley showdown as one of the “defining moments” of Arsenal’s season: “At the end of the day it is about whether you win the trophy or not. 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.”
The Spaniard also addressed his long-standing connection with City boss Pep Guardiola, under whom he served as assistant before taking the Arsenal job in 2019. While the two are now fierce title rivals, Arteta insisted their bond remains strong.
“The fact we are never together and can never spend time together is important in our relationship, but it is not the most important. 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.”
Arteta remains hopeful that captain Martin Ødegaard and defender Jurrien Timber will recover from injury in time to feature at Wembley after missing the midweek Champions League win over Bayer Leverkusen (2-0). He refused to confirm his starting goalkeeper, with Kepa Arrizabalaga having played in domestic cup games this season while David Raya remains first choice in the Premier League and Europe.
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On the City side, Pep Guardiola confirmed James Trafford will start in goal ahead of Gianluigi Donnarumma, having featured in all domestic cup matches this campaign.
Arsenal head into the final as slight underdogs despite their league dominance, but Arteta’s message was clear: the time for excuses is over it’s time to deliver silverware.
DDNewsOnline – Lagos
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