Mikel Arteta says Arsenal League Cup win would ‘create the right path’ for more trophies - ‘It brings belief’
Published 17/12/2024 at 17:21 GMT
Mikel Arteta said the League Cup could be a platform for greater things, should Arsenal get their hands on the trophy which has eluded them for 31 years. The Gunners face Crystal Palace on Wednesday for a spot in the semi-finals, and the Arsenal manager claimed the competition can "bring belief, trust, and positive energy" as they look to establish themselves as consistent trophy winners.
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Mikel Arteta believes lifting the League Cup would "create the right path" and give Arsenal momentum heading into the second half of the season.
The Gunners host Crystal Palace in the quarter-final at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday as they look to win the competition for the first time since 1993.
Arteta guided the club to an FA Cup success in 2020 at the end of his debut managerial season, but has not won a piece of major silverware since.
"It is really helpful, it brings belief, trust, positive energy," Arteta said about the League Cup at his press conference on Tuesday.
"Touching the cup, and being in the semi-final and beating somebody in the final, it is that energy and it creates the right path to go and do something else, particularly because of the timing and when the competition is played in this country. It gets that momentum going.
"I fully believe in that, the fact that you are winning and you get into the next round, and it creates something different around the team and that is why these kind of games are so important."
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Arsenal enjoyed dominant wins over Bolton Wanderers and Preston North End on their way to the last eight, with 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri starring with three goals.
The Gunners’ form has been similar in the Premier League and UEFA Champions League, with thumping wins over West Ham United and Sporting CP in recent weeks.
But more recently it has been a different story. Arteta’s side were held to draws against Fulham and Everton and failed to score in open play against either.
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Arteta addressed Arsenal’s goalscoring problem in his press conference.
"The frustrating part is watching it back and seeing all the things that the team has done without getting a reward," he said.
"Looking back at all the games in the league, our margins are 10 times bigger than many other teams that won that day. This is football. At the end what we have to do is put the ball in the net and then we don't have that issue. With the way the team dominates the game there's very little to say.
"When you score five goals, then another five, then another three, you're not going to talk about it. If you concede, it's 'You don't have many clean sheets'. That's normal. That's the narrative. For us, it doesn't change. We want to improve regardless if we score three or five."
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