Why Arsenal need to follow Pep Guardiola’s example to end Premier League drought

Arsenal’s win over Leeds was not so much about steadying the ship.

That is because it more felt like in recent weeks the door was ready to blow on an engine room full up with steam rather than the boat rocking such was the pressure building.

Their victory at Elland Road, a four-goal rout of the Premier League strugglers, put them back on course in the title race and eased fears they were starting to sink under the weight of apprehension which was building around North London after a three-game winless run gave Manchester City and Aston Villa more than a bit of hope.

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Now as they prepare for a Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Chelsea, Mikel Arteta’s men have the opportunity to return to Wembley for a major final for the first time since 2020 and, with that, the chance to get their hands on silverware.

Going all the way would end a six-year wait for a trophy – do not listen to managers who count the Community Shield – and, while it may not totally remove the anxiety at a club that crave the Premier League title more, it would give this group of players the taste of winning and drop the tag of serial runners-up.

That, in turn, could give them a hunger for even more and be a catalyst for getting over the line in the bigger competitions. It was something Pep Guardiola at Manchester City has cited as why the fourth least important trophy to the big English clubs was so worth winning.

“We want to win every competition,” said Gunners defender William Saliba when it was put to him about Guardiola using winning the Carabao Cup as a springboard in the past. “We have the squad for that, we have the coach for that. So, yeah, we have to keep going and obviously be focused on every competition.

“It would give us a lot of confidence because I think if we go in the final of the Carabao Cup, it would be the first final of everything. The game isn't won. We have to prove it that we want to win everything.”

Arsenal welcome Chelsea to the Emirates Stadium having won the first leg 3-2 at Stamford Bridge so will be favourites to progress at a ground they have only lost once in this season so far. But Chelsea showed fight against West Ham on Saturday and will be up for turning over their London rivals. If the Gunners do progress, then waiting for them will most likely be Guardiola and City.

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The flip side of winning the Carabao Cup would be what would an exit at the hands of Chelsea or a final defeat by City do to the confidence of Areta’s men?

Everything still seems so fragile at this stage of the season for them. The four-goal hammering of Daniel Farke’s Leeds restores some believe that this will be the year Arsenal go all the way. Their squad strength is arguably the best in the division and they are rightly favourites to win their first league title since 2004.

Yet just a week ago at home to Manchester United, their home ground was filled with anxiety while a surprise defeat had questions raised about how these Arsenal players are dealing with the pressure even though it was just the third loss of the whole campaign.

They’re top of the Premier League, into the last 16 of the Champions League, FA Cup fourth round and the League Cup semi-final. Yet it still feels in some games that their season is on a precipice.

Winning a trophy early in the campaign could settle all that down.

“It's a big club, so there's a lot of pressure every time,” said defender Saliba. “It's good when there is pressure, it's good. We play football for that. So, if we want to respond, we have to respond on the pitch. First, it will be Tuesday and then we'll see.

“We have a lot of games, there's four months left. So, yeah, we will give everything possible to win every game.”

Arsenal will wait to see the extent of a hip injury suffered by Bukayo Saka, the only player left from the 2020 FA Cup success when he was an unused substitute at Wembley, before deciding if he can start against Chelsea on Tuesday.

When they haven’t won the league in 22 years and yet to lift the European Cup in their history, the mention of quadruples is sometimes met with scoffs from rival supporters.

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“Yeah, of course, we have a good squad this season,” said Saliba, when asked if the depth of talent at their disposal means they can win all four trophies this year.

“We have a lot of good players. Every player who doesn't start can start as well. They are the level to start the games as well.”

Arsenal certainly have the potential to do it all but it will be how they deal with the pressure in the coming weeks and months, as much as their rivals, which will decide their fate.