Arsenal easily defeated Bayer Leverkusen to book their place in the Champions League quarter-finals and are just a few games away from winning Europe. Mikel Arteta will be tested in the weeks ahead as he leads Sporting CP in the semi-finals with a nine-point lead in the Premier League. But attention will soon turn back to another tournament as the Gunners prepare for the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City on Sunday afternoon.
England’s two biggest teams will clash at Wembley Stadium this weekend in search of the season’s first silver medal. City were eliminated from the Champions League by Real Madrid on Tuesday, losing 5-1 on aggregate. Title rivals will dust themselves off and prepare for a tough battle against Arteta’s side. The Spaniard is eager to take on the challenge. Express Sport has all the latest Arsenal news for you.
Rice appointed as new dressing room leader
Manager Declan Rice stressed the importance of David Raya in the dressing room following Tuesday’s impressive performance in Europe. The midfield dynamo made a huge impact against Bayer Leverkusen, earning him Man of the Match honors for his performance.
Rather than wallow in praise, the England international singled out his goalkeeper as one of Arsenal’s key leaders. “Yes, he deserves credit in every way,” Rice said during a chat with Gunners legend Thierry Henry on CBS Sports.
“I wish people could come in every day and watch him train, because given the intensity and level of his training, there’s literally no reason why he can’t do what he’s doing on the pitch.
“It’s unbelievable. Watching his effort every day and how he works with the players, he’s become a real leader for us. I think having a goalie like that gives everyone confidence. So, yeah, he’s amazing.”
Declan Rice praised teammate David Raya as a dressing room leader (Image: Getty Images)
Possibility of ax in Carabao Cup final
Despite Raya’s rising status within the Arsenal squad, Kepa Arrizabalaga believes he has pushed his colleague into a starting position for Sunday’s Carabao Cup final against City. The 31-year-old has been the Spaniard’s backup goalkeeper this season, but was in goal for the League Cup match.
While Raya has continued his exceptional form, Arrizabalaga has been a reliable player throughout the domestic cup campaign and could present Arteta with a selection dilemma. He is confident the Gunners manager will select him once he has outlined how he will deal with the pressure at Wembley.
The former Chelsea keeper said: “The atmosphere at Wembley is very special. Everything around the game is special, including the build-up. You know you’re playing for a title, but at this moment in football any title is very difficult to come by.”
“You know you’re one game away from lifting the trophy. Of course it’s going to be a tough game, a very difficult game, but we’ll give it our all. I’ve played in League Cup finals before, I’ve played in many finals in my career, so I’ve been lucky in that sense.”
Kepa hinted that he could be Arsenal’s starting goalkeeper once the games start, adding: “So we just go into the game in the best way we can. At the end of the day, the goal is to win, so we prepare everything in the best way. We just focus on the game, focus on ourselves and prepare for the opponent. That’s it. I don’t think we need to approach anything differently.”
