WIN Carabao Cup Semi-Final 1st Leg: Chelsea 2 - 3 Arsenal | Wednesday, January 14th | KO: 20:00 GMT | Sky Sports

[dashsnow17]

I think it’s disgraceful this tournament has 2 legs at the semis.

Who do you think you are, the CL? **** off.

Wait what, this is 2 legs? Ffs

 

[StefanB]

Trinkets simply aren't as important as the biggest trophies. There's a reason Wenger treated this competition like a step child.

Winning something even though it is a little cup is still important. Pep has won it 4 times as ****ty manager. For the players it's still a boost winning it even though it's not a huge trophy.

 

[pure profit FC]

Trinkets simply aren't as important as the biggest trophies. There's a reason Wenger treated this competition like a step child.

If you're winning trophies regularly sure, we haven't won anything for 6 years, we have the squad for it now, Wenger didn't of course, probably because he had to prioritise top 4 over everything else, but when he did have the squad quality (pre-emirates) we would win the bigger prizes anyway.

 

[Batman]

Winning something even though it is a little cup is still important. Pep has won it 4 times as ****ty manager. For the players it's still a boost winning it even though it's not a huge trophy.

Everyone knows which 2 trophies are important to this club. It's not this one and it's not the FA cup either. Arsenal have to be a club prioriting entrees, not appetizers.

 

[Batman]

If you're winning trophies regularly sure, we haven't won anything for 6 years, we have the squad for it now, Wenger didn't of course, probably because he had to prioritise top 4 over everything else, but when he did have the squad quality (pre-emirates) we would win the bigger prizes anyway.

We have the squad to rotate and attempt win with reserves. There should however be a clear prioritzation of the first XI being kept fresh for league fixtures and the knockout stages of the CL when that time arrives. We're not some little club. We're a massive club with a clear directive to return to winning the big trophies. This should be the lowest thing on the totem pole in terms of importance.

 

[StefanB]

Everyone knows which 2 trophies are important to this club. It's not this one and it's not the FA cup either. Arsenal have to be a club prioriting entrees, not appetizers.

Athletes want to win trophies. If they play in a competition they want to win it. There's a reason why in Spain, France, Italy etc. usually the big teams win the cup competitions because they want to keep the momentum going. If you start throwing the cups like Wenger did you start getting a losing mentality. Now with the squad we have available we can compete in this "Mickey Mouse Cup" as we call it in Norway. We're the only team competing for 4. trophies. That does mean something for the players.

 

[pure profit FC]

We have the squad to rotate and attempt win with reserves. There should however be a clear prioritzation of the first XI being kept fresh for league fixtures and the knockout stages of the CL when that time arrives. We're not some little club. We're a massive club with a clear directive to return to winning the big trophies. This should be the lowest thing on the totem pole in terms of importance.

Every trophy that is winnable and adds to the history of this club shoud be a priority now, although I think he will prioritse the league over the cups in terms of team selection, I think we will keep a similarly rotated starting eleven (like we did against portsmouth) for these two games against chelsea, I think we can afford to rotate for our remaining 2 ucl games as well so I wouldn't see it as an issue if he decided to pick a strong line up on wednesday.

 

[Gooner Zig]

Everyone knows which 2 trophies are important to this club. It's not this one and it's not the FA cup either. Arsenal have to be a club prioriting entrees, not appetizers.

Alonso got sacked by Madrid for losing their equivalent of the EFL Cup. Granted, it's deeper than that but I don't think Madrid is sacking Alonso if he won yesterday.

 

[Batman]

Alonso got sacked by Madrid for losing their equivalent of the EFL Cup. Granted, it's deeper than that but I don't think Madrid is sacking Alonso if he won yesterday.

Alonso was already on his way out the door because the players don't like him. Madrid were waiting for the last straw.

It has nothing to do with it being their version of an EFL cup and everything to do with an unpopular manager losing to their biggest rival who they trail in La Liga in a Final. If he was on top of La Liga instead of behind Barca, he would not have been sacked for failing to win a trinket. It's because of their form in the league and his unpopularity with the stars.

It's very strange that you would try to make a comparison that doesn't apply at all, particularly when we know that Madrid is a weird club that sacks managers for things that other clubs don't at the best of times and Arteta is under no such pressure here.

 

[Batman]

Every trophy that is winnable and adds to the history of this club shoud be a priority now, although I think he will prioritse the league over the cups in terms of team selection, I think we will keep a similarly rotated starting eleven (like we did against portsmouth) for these two games against chelsea, I think we can afford to rotate for our remaining 2 ucl games as well so I wouldn't see it as an issue if he decided to pick a strong line up on wednesday.

A Carabao Cup adds nothing to our history. The Emirates was built to win 2 trophies and we've won neither of them since its construction. Those are the priorities above the trinkets.

If we can win a little one on the side with a rotated squad then great but everything should be geared towards getting the league and CL over the line.

Nobody here who is honest is going to celebrate us going full steam for a Carabao Cup if we don't win the league. Arteta isn't here to win Carabao Cups. Berta isn't here to win Carabao Cups. Stan and Josh haven't invested this heavily for Carabao Cups and none of you can say they have with a straight face.

 

[UpTheGunnerz]

Forest is the biggest fish to fry this week, play the toddlers

 

[pure profit FC]

A Carabao Cup adds nothing to our history. The Emirates was built to win 2 trophies and we've won neither of them since its construction. Those are the priorities above the trinkets.

If we can win a little one on the side with a rotated squad then great but everything should be geared towards getting the league and CL over the line.

Nobody here who is honest is going to celebrate us going full steam for a Carabao Cup if we don't win the league. Arteta isn't here to win Carabao Cups. Berta isn't here to win Carabao Cups. Stan and Josh haven't invested this heavily for Carabao Cups and none of you can say they have with a straight face.

True the league SHOULD be the priority and the main aim this season, That's what Josh and KSE has invested in (and the UCL), but the potential to win a domestic treble for the first time for the mens team will be a chance for these players and Arteta to create history which will be remembered forever as an achievement for the club, more importantly I think we can do it, it's a very real possiblilty that we could win all three domestic trophies this season, it's very doable with the right squad rotation.

 

[Batman]

True the league SHOULD be the priority and the main aim this season, That's what Josh and KSE has invested in (and the UCL), but the potential to win a domestic treble for the first time for the mens team will be a chance for these players and Arteta to create history which will be remembered forever as an achievement for the club, more importantly I think we can do it, it's a very real possiblilty that we could win all three domestic trophies this season, it's very doable with the right squad rotation.

Yes, with rotation. I'm not averse to winning all of the trophies, I just want the most important ones to be priority. I would much rather a League and CL double than a domestic treble for example and even with a deep squad, at some point you have to prioritize one thing or another.

 

[pure profit FC]

Yes, with rotation. I'm not averse to winning all of the trophies, I just want the most important ones to be priority. I would much rather a League and CL double than a domestic treble for example and even with a deep squad, at some point you have to prioritize one thing or another.

Of course the UCL would be nice aswell, it's much harder to win, who knows, hopefully we get the semi final's again at least, if anything it's the biggest trophy we could win in our history and put us at the top table as an elite club, not just a 'big club'.

 

[field442]

I don't really see the issue here? We rotated pretty much the whole team on the weekend. Our best 11 can't get through this and the Forest game and then we can rest everyone at Inter because of the position we've put ourselves in. Even if we lose that one we are pretty much nailed on for a top 2 finish.

 

[Red London]

I don't really see the issue here? We rotated pretty much the whole team on the weekend. Our best 11 can't get through this and the Forest game and then we can rest everyone at Inter because of the position we've put ourselves in. Even if we lose that one we are pretty much nailed on for a top 2 finish.

Will Arteta actually rest everyone against Inter though? I don’t think it would align with what he’s shown here if rests most the team vs Inter. Happy to be proven wrong.

Arteta loves momentum for his players + also will want to ideally finish 1st place and unbeaten in the CL league as a statement.

I would love us to rotate half the team vs Inter but I’m not sure he does.

 

[TopGunner81]

Kopama ducking the Arsenal test again?

That hairlines got him looking like a 48 year old alcoholic

 

[grange]

Did we win the Emirates Cup or did Mik bottle that too?

 

[squallman]

Tbh I'd have rather we won three league cups in a row than the three second placed finishes.

 

[coleio]

I think it’s disgraceful this tournament has 2 legs at the semis.

Who do you think you are, the CL? **** off.

Completely agree. When we have a fixture schedule that already has players in the red for most of the season, 2 legs for this seems crazy.