Carabao Cup: Who needs final victory more? Mikel Arteta or Pep Guardiola?
Arteta’s Arsenal will be desperate to shake off the title of being the team that has failed in recent years.
Arsenal and their manager are searching for a first silverware as they beat Chelsea in the 2020 FA Cup final, just nine months after he took charge of the Emirates Stadium from Guardiola’s side as his assistant at City.
During the same period, Arteta’s managerial mentor Guardiola has trophies in the Champions League, four Premier League titles, the FA Cup and the EFL Cup, as well as the UEFA Super Cup and Fifa Club World Cup.
Since Arteta’s last taste of success, Arsenal have lost to Villarreal in the Europa League semi-finals in 2021, Liverpool and Newcastle United respectively in the EFL Cup semi-finals in 2022 and 2025, as well as eventual winners Paris St-Germain in last season’s Champions League semi-final.
The Gunners finally broke that pattern to reach the final, but Arteta also needs to break free from Guardiola’s pressure; Because they have won only four of the last 16 matches against him (including the Community Shield in 2023) and lost nine.
This shows that it is Arteta who urgently needs to break the cycle of finishing empty-handed.
Former Arsenal and England defender Matt Upson told BBC Sport: “Overall I think Arteta needs it the most because during his time at Arsenal they haven’t won enough trophies in terms of how well they’ve done.
“After seasons where they finished second in the Premier League, it was ‘almost but not quite’ for Arteta. They’re not there yet, so this is a big deal for Arteta.
“I think Arteta and Guardiola need it for very different reasons, but I think Arteta needs it more because he needs to put silverware in his trophy cabinet.
“The overall pressure is on Arteta, but it’s fair to say the short-term pressure is also on Guardiola. It’s crucial that City get this win and at least shake Arsenal’s confidence. That could really help them in the last eight games of the season.”
Former Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha said the victory could still have great significance for his former club.
“City have suffered the sting of defeat in the Champions League, but they can use that to express how much it hurt them to go to Real in the Carabao Cup final and potentially take that and use it at Wembley,” he said.
“This is 100% a great opportunity for them to come back and if they can sign off by lifting a trophy in the last game before the international break it could significantly change your perspective on the whole season.”
