.” With hindsight, the Arsenal manager would probably not have criticised the equipment used in the Carabao Cup after his side’s chastening defeat in the first leg of their semi-final against Newcastle at the Emirates last month. But after another traumatic 2-0 loss to Eddie Howe’s side – Arsenal’s third blank in a row at St James’ Park – during which home supporters gleefully teased Arteta about his comments, it was surely not his only regret.
Three times since the Spaniard won the FA Cup seven months after succeeding Unai Emery in 2019, Arsenal have reached a semi-final and failed to progress. On the previous occasion they reached this stage of the Carabao Cup, three seasons ago, they were also beaten 2-0 in the home leg, by Liverpool. It is a trophy they have not won since Steve Morrow’s decisive goal against Sheffield Wednesday in the 1993 final, after which the Northern Ireland midfielder was dropped by Tony Adams and broke an arm.
Arsenal have lifted the FA Cup on a record 14 occasions and their two League Cup triumphs are a meagre return when compared with the rest of the big six – even Tottenham have four. Arteta’s decision to target the competition this season stemmed from his desire to end their wait for a trophy after finishing as runners-up to Manchester City in the Premier League two years in a row.
“It brings belief, trust, positive energy, touching the cup, and being in the semi-final and beating somebody in the final,” he said before their quarter-final against Crystal Palace in December. “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.”
That was why William Saliba and Martin Ødegaard were introduced at half-time with Arsenal trailing to a goal from Palace’s …
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