Arsenal are aiming to win the Carabao Cup for the first time in over 30 years, with Mikel Arteta aiming for the title after Arsene Wenger continued to fall short.
The Carabao Cup was not a happy hunting ground for Arsene Wenger
Despite all of Arsene Wenger’s success, there was one thing he continued to avoid at Arsenal. It’s the League Cup. Many names were given during his tenure, but the French never got it.
When he arrived in England in the 1990s, it was also highly regarded as the fourth most desirable award after the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup. But almost all the greats have won at least once in their era, and the majority have won several times.
That’s not to say that manager Wenger can’t produce results in a one-shot match. His performance in the FA Cup speaks for itself. The Frenchman lifted the trophy a whopping seven times. Contextually, this is more than what Newcastle or Everton have managed for their entire existence.
But somehow the League Cup and Wenger did not mix. During his long tenure, he used it as a training ground for the next generation, sometimes using all 11 players under the age of 21 or 22.
It helped players like Jack Wilshere blossom, but it was often undermined in the later stages by a lack of experience. Consecutive defeats also became a problem during the period when Wenger was unable to win a trophy for about 10 years.
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A top-four finish was an annual tradition, but Arsenal fans became frustrated with the lack of success. Wenger continued to fight in the corner, but the League Cup, sometimes overlooked by his rivals, was the perfect opportunity for him to tick the trophy box and move on.
Mikel Arteta hosts Chelsea on Tuesday night as he looks to lead Arsenal into the final after holding a 3-2 lead in the first leg at Stamford Bridge. If the Spaniard wins, it will end a wait that dates back to 1993. Looking back at some of the more damaging and perhaps most humiliating defeats for the Frenchman, he will be able to achieve the success that Wenger was unable to achieve.
Mikel Arteta, 90 minutes until the final (Image: Arsenal FC, Getty Images)
2015/16 – Sheffield Wednesday 3-0 Arsenal
There are only two years left in Wenger’s tenure as manager, but losing by that margin to a team, especially in the championship, is never welcome. Owls manager Carlos Carvaljal said there was only a “10% chance of advancing” but it was a chance they seized. Arsenal themselves were unable to recover from their early deficit, managing just two shots on target. Wenger also lost first-team stars Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to injury.
2012/13 – Bradford 1-1 Arsenal (lost on penalties)
The League Two side were heading for a memorable final at Wembley, but their hopes were really kindled when they defeated the Gunners at Valley Parade. They did so in accordance with the draw, which was a penalty shootout, but many at Arsenal will say it shouldn’t have happened that way.
Arsenal lost to League Two side Bradford City on penalties.
Gunners captain Thomas Vermaelen missed a crucial penalty as the club were in poor form at the time. Arsenal needed to score an equalizer in the 88th minute just to force extra time, but Wenger insisted his team did not need to be embarrassed by the sending off.
2010/11 – Birmingham 2-1 Arsenal
The day was seen as the day North Londoners would finally put an end to the myth of not winning trophies. Even though they were playing against the same Premier League team, they were the favorites to win the final. At Wembley, Robin van Persie’s goal tied the score and it was expected that they would push on for victory. Instead, a versatile defensive arrangement allowed Obafemi Martins to score with minutes remaining, prolonging Arsenal’s woes.
Tottenham defeated Arsenal in the 2008 semi-finals
2008/09 – Burnley 2-0 Arsenal
Kevin MacDonald’s two goals upset the then Championship team and eliminated Arsenal’s young side from the Carling Cup. The first goal came just six minutes later, due to a mistake by goalkeeper Łukasz Fabianski, who spilled the ball into his path. It was ultimately a weak send-off for Arsenal’s side, which included teenagers Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey, but it could not prevent them from being eliminated in the quarter-finals.
2007/08 – Tottenham 5-1 Arsenal
Juande Ramos got off to a great start at White Hart Lane and was purring for Tottenham. They were unlucky to draw the first leg of the semi-final 1-1, but pushed back on the advantage on their own patch. Getting hit five times is tough on any given night, but it’s even tougher when it’s your biggest rival. Arsenal never played and at one point were trailing 0-4. It was Tottenham’s first win against their neighbors since 1999.
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