Mikel Arteta targets Carabao Cup success to kickstart Arsenal trophy 'cycle' | OneFootball

Gunners are still pushing for glory on four front and could reach the Carabao Cup semi-final on Tuesday night

Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal face Chelsea in the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg

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Mikel Arteta is eyeing Carabao Cup glory to kickstart a "cycle" of Arsenal success.

Should Arsenal progress through to the final at Wembley, they will face either Manchester City or Newcastle in their bid to win a first piece of silverware since 2020.

Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli are the only Arsenal players still at the club now who featured in that FA Cup run and Arteta is therefore keen for this group to taste Carabao Cup success to fuel their push for more trophies.

"Well first of all because you work to win many trophies, and the enjoyment that that brings them," Arteta said.

"The confidence, the trust, the belief, and unlock something on you, and then you want more.

"And it's a cycle that you want to repeat constantly, and we still have to do that. Some of them they've never done it, so it's always a first time.

"I think the group is really convinced that we have the ability to do it. Then we're very conscious that that's nothing because we have to do it every single day, and that's what we focus on."

The FA Cup is the only major silverware won by Mikel Arteta at Arsenal so far

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Arteta named a strong starting lineup for the first leg at Stamford Bridge. Saka, Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi and William Saliba were among the first-choice players to start.

Arsenal are still going strong in all four competitions and Arteta pointed to the depth of the squad available to him as the key reason for being able to take the Carabao Cup so seriously.

"It is something that has changed a lot over the years with the Carabao Cup and how that competition is being approached," Arteta said.

"But we are on it. You have to prioritise at some point in relation to the squad or the circumstances that you have.

"We have had years here where we have been very struggling with numbers and we had to play other kind of players but now we are in a different situation."