Club Focus – Arsenal – Gunners look to Carling Cup final to end trophy drought
Arsenal has the chance to lift the first silverware of the season in Sunday’s Carling Cup final, ending the club’s barren spell just shy of the six-year mark. Since it’s opening the Emirates Stadium placard has listed 2005 as the most recent success. Arsenal fans will hope the Wembley showpiece results in at least one addition this campaign.
Having passed a rigorous examination by Stoke City, the Gunners are in good shape in the league with victory moving them to within a point of leaders Manchester United. United, engaged in midweek European action, will play catch-up against Wigan on Saturday before a trip to Stamford Bridge. With a steadily improving Chelsea lying in wait, Arsenal cranked up the pressure on United in the title race with a gritty 1-0 win over Stoke.
Unfortunately Stoke were not the only ones giving an examination. Arsenal’s medical team will need to assess the fitness of Cesc Fabregas ahead of the cup final. The Spaniard limped off within the opening quarter of an hour of Wednesday’s match and now faces a race against time to make the trip to Wembley. Using his Twitter account, the captain outlined his intention to lead the side out on Sunday: “I don’t know if I'll make Sunday or not, but all I know is that from this moment to Sunday I won't sleep if it's necessary. I've waited too long to captain a final for Arsenal and I won't give up till the last second.”
Fabregas appeared to be over the series of hamstring injuries that dogged 2010. This latest recurrence puts his cup final involvement in doubt and raises further question marks over his ability to see out the season as Arsenal continue to challenge on four fronts. The Telegraph provides statistics to back up what is evident to the fans – Arsenal wins more often with their talisman and are more susceptible without him. Since August 2009, the club’s Premier League win ratio is up 24% when he plays, and of the 18 games he has missed they have lost one third. Arsene Wenger realises the importance of his captain, not least in choosing to rebuff Barcelona’s advances, but also in carefully choosing moments to rest the playmaker. Ironically, the decision to rest Fabregas against Leyton Orient was intended to prevent the very type of injury he sustained on Wednesday.
While Wenger sweats over Fabregas’ availability, Arsenal are increasingly linked with another Barcelona protégé Jon Miquel Toral Harper. The 16-year-old looks set to follow in the footsteps of Fabregas and, despite being a taller player who is more dominant in the air; he inevitably draws comparisons due to his dribbling ability and career path. Barcelona president Sandro Rosell has branded the approach as “immoral” and, prior to their Champions League clash, Joan Laporta also criticised Wenger’s policy. The Gunners’ manager quickly pointed out the hypocrisy in the complaints: “Where do they get their players… Where does Lionel Messi come from? Barcelona? At what age did they take him? Twelve-years-old.” With Wenger’s young guns continuing to draw the plaudits and appearing set to ally silverware with style, the policy shows no signs of relenting.
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