It’s no secret that the Carabao Cup ranks fourth in Arsenal’s list of priorities this season, but Mikel Arteta insists his side’s fourth-round tie with Brighton has his full attention.
The Gunners made several changes as they eased past Preston North End in the previous round, and the manager is expected to rotate again for the visit of the Seagulls.
William Saliba and Gabriel Martinelli are the latest additions to the treatment room, joining Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz, Noni Madueke and Martin Ødegaard, meaning Arteta’s options are slightly reduced. Even so, with quality waiting in the wings, he still has plenty to choose from.
Asked if the depth of his squad allows him to relax, Arteta said: “That word ‘relaxed’, in football it’s impossible.
“We’re going to try to manage the minutes and the loads as good as possible. Because, as you say, we have a lot of games coming up with very short recovery time, which is a bit unusual. But we’re going to remain very competitive.”
Brighton head to north London on the back of a 4-2 defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford but have enjoyed decent success at the Emirates, winning three and drawing one of their last five visits.
Arteta was full of praise for Seagulls boss Fabian Hürzeler, who guided the club to an eighth-place finish in his debut season.
“Fabian and the coaches, the continuous work that they’ve done at that club is incredible. I think Fabian has added something slightly different as well.
“They are a very well-prepared team, it’s very difficult to beat them. You’ve seen the results against the big teams as well so we expect a really tough match, obviously.”
Arteta also had warm words for former teammate Danny Welbeck, who at the age of 34 is playing some of the best football of his career. With five goals in his last four league appearances, the ex-Gunner, who has a habit of scoring against his former employers, is even being linked with an England recall.
“I’m very happy for him. Obviously, we were teammates, but with the whole history of him, the good and the difficult moments he’s had in his career, it’s remarkable what he’s doing.”
At the weekend, Arsenal made a big splash re-releasing the adidas home shirt made famous by George Graham’s “Cup Kings” of the early 90s. That era saw the club become the first in English football to win both the League Cup and FA Cup in the same season, followed by Cup Winners’ Cup success the year after.
While the Gunners have since lifted the FA Cup eight more times, the League Cup has proven elusive – final defeats to Chelsea (2007), Birmingham City (2011) and Manchester City (2018) still sting. Last season’s run ended in the semi-finals against Newcastle United.
So how does Arteta feel about the competition?
“Today it’s the most important one, because it’s the game that we have tomorrow. It’s a competition that we haven’t won it for many, many years.
“It has to start tomorrow. We have to do a great game in order to be able to beat a very good Brighton side. We know that. We are prepared for that and we have to show it on the pitch.”
In recent weeks, much has been made of Arsenal’s superb defensive record, with comparisons already being drawn to Chelsea’s record-breaking 2004/05 campaign when they conceded just 15 league goals. Whether or not Arsenal can match that feat, Arteta knows that defensive solidity is the bedrock of success, and the key to ending the club’s four-year wait for silverware.
“We discussed the other day about the very close relationship between keeping clean sheets and not conceding goals and winning major trophies. That’s a foundation that we are building over the last three years and we need to continue to do that.
“And tomorrow, in a competition, where you are [either] in or out, you know how crucial that is.”
The post Arteta on Welbeck’s form, Hurzerler’s Brighton and being Carabao Cup competitive appeared first on Arseblog News – the Arsenal news site.
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