da realbet： The Capital One Cup is a competition most Premier League managers will feel they can take or leave, without much remorse or regret in the case of the latter. Although involvement in all four fronts until the latest stages possible is the ultimate ambition of every club, the truth is that the level of risk often outweighs the realistic reward.
da esoccer bet： Last season’s footballing calendar saw two Premier League fixtures, the second leg of the Champions League’s round of 16, the quarter-final of the FA Cup and the Capital One Cup final in the space of a fortnight in March, providing an insight into why no Premier League club has ever claimed the quadruple and, probably, never will.
Despite the unrivalled level of finance in the English game, the ferociousness of competition throughout its pyramid prevents personnel and resources from being adequately stretched over all four formats. Unfortunately, the COC doesn’t top the agenda for the managers of England’s biggest clubs distracted by league and European titles.
Throughout his near two decades as Arsenal boss, Arsene Wenger has never won the League Cup, telling all about his apathy towards a tournament he usually employs as a development ground for the Emirates outfit’s ever-promising academy products.
He’s by no means alone in that mindset; Sir Alex Ferguson won it just four times from 27 attempts and when he did, it was usually due to Manchester United enjoying a relatively easy run until the semi-finals. At which point, he’d take the chance to add to the Old Trafford trophy cabinet a little more seriously.
So under more regular circumstances, not too much importance would be attached to Arsenal’s first Capital One Cup fixture of the season this evening. The two consequences are either more game time for the youngsters and fringe players with the eventual opportunity of silverware, or simply one less game the Gunners need to worry about every fortnight or so. Considering the club’s almost conspiratorial relationship with injuries, hardly a bad thing.
Yet, now facing bitter local rivals Tottenham after back-to-back defeats, tonight’s clash at White Hart Lane verges upon must-win territory for the Gunners. The must-win cliché gets bandied around a lot; nobody dies, football clubs don’t instantaneously combust and managers are rarely sacked immediately after not winning the must-wins; but in the context of the last few games and extrapolating onto the rest of Arsenal’s campaign, you fear the long-term effects a third loss in the space of just seven days could have on morale.
The defeat to Chelsea last Saturday was a harrowing blow. Wounded, weakened and with captain John Terry benched, it was unquestionably Wenger’s best chance yet to finally get one over Jose Mourinho in a competitive fixture. But the Gunners lost their heads as Diego Costa’s on-pitch atrocities went unpunished by Mike Dean; yet another Groundhog Day defeat at the hands of the west Londoners ensured amid two sending-offs.
Disappointment surrounding the result was amplified by Dynamo Zagreb’s shock win over the Emirates outfit the Wednesday prior; a team who previously hadn’t won a Champions League fixture from their last 15 attempts, spanning all the way back to 1999.
So with the trip to Leicester City on Saturday in mind, it’s vitally important Arsenal return to winning ways tonight. Although they’re yet to face competition of the north London outfit’s calibre this season, the King Power Stadium outfit’s league standing – two points and one position better off than the Gunners – tells all about their form. There’s also the small issue of Riyad Mahrez, the Premier League’s joint-top scorer, most prolific dribbler and second-top assistor after six games, not to mention the Foxes’ knack of staging miraculous comebacks, claiming nine of their twelve points this term from losing positions.
But before the Midlands visit can even be considered, there’s the obstacle of Tottenham to deal with first. In addition to representing the need to claim vital bragging rights that will galvanise the fanbase, having failed to beat Spurs during the 2015/16 campaign, the Lilywhites are also a barometer of this Gunners side’s capabilities. Defeat to the out-of-sorts reigning champions has already put Arsenal’s title credentials under severe scrutiny, so loss at the hands of Tottenham – a team whose ambitions for the season end at Champions League qualification – would suggest even their top four status may not be as clear cut as assumed in the summer.
Of course, changes from both sides will be expected this evening. It possible neither will put out full strength starting Xis with the matter of the Premier League at the weekend – Spurs facing table toppers Manchester City at 12.45pm on Saturday.
But regardless of the quality of their own or the opposition’s personnel, another defeat, this time at the hands of local rivals, could have dire consequences for an Arsenal side who appear to have lost their groove. Whilst Wenger may be apathetic towards the competition itself, advancement to the next round verges upon imperative. Defeat, on the other hand, might lead to murmurings of a crisis developing at the Emirates.
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