Five clubs who should be taking the Carabao Cup seriously…

Ian Watson
Carabao Cup Leeds Arsenal

The Carabao Cup gets under way tonight for Premier League sides not in Europe. Which this year, of course, includes Arsenal. 

The Gunners should be taking this year’s competition very seriously indeed. As should Rafa, Bielsa and Bruce…

 

Arsenal
What else have they got to focus on? With no Europe, there is no excuse for Arsenal not to make the Carabao Cup a far greater priority that it normally might be. And, assuming he’s still there, Mikel Arteta will more than likely appreciate whatever breathing space a trophy might offer in February.

In the earliest rounds, Arsenal generally blood the kids but Arteta will surely recognise that Wednesday is not the time for sweeping, wholesale changes as his side go looking for their first win and goals of the season.

The Gunners go to West Brom for their first second-round tie in over 20 years with the Baggies flying. Valerien Ismael’s side have started the Championship season on fire, winning three games out of three. Albion will be champing at the bit to get at Arteta’s delicate Gunners.

Should Arsenal and the Baggies maintain their respective momentum, Arteta could be in big trouble going in to the international break with Manchester City waiting to inflict what could be a fourth defeat in four before a fortnight off. A run to the final would be huge but before Arteta worries about Wembley, he must take The Hawthorns trip very seriously indeed to ease just some of the pressure.

 

Everton
Rafa Benitez is hardly under the screw in the same way Arteta is. Four points from Everton’s opening two games have eased the pressure on the new boss who still has some hearts and minds to win at Goodison given his background.

Delivering before the end of the winter Everton’s first trophy since 1995 would certainly go a long way to achieving that. And for the club, it’s been far too long since they have reached a final – 13 years by the time this year’s showpiece rolls around.

The Carabao Cup is the one domestic trophy Everton need to complete the set but never since 1984 have they reached the final. Since that replay defeat to Liverpool, the Toffees have managed three semi-final appearances, with their two most recent exits coming at the quarter-final stage, each at home, to Leicester and Manchester United.

For Carlo Ancelotti last season, it was ‘an important competition’. The same applies for Rafa. The Carabao Cup offers him the quickest route into the Everton history books, with the starting point at Huddersfield tonight.

 


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Newcastle
Like Everton, Newcastle have never won the Carabao Cup. Indeed, they haven’t won anything since 1969.

Steve Bruce saw the chance to win over his doubters last season when the Magpies reached the quarter-final when they were drawn to play Championship opposition. But, Newcastle being Newcastle, they f***ed it, losing 1-0 at Brentford.

“We blew an unbelievably good opportunity,” admitted Bruce back then but, much to many Mags’ chagrin, the manager has another chance to become the first manager since Joe Harvey to deliver silverware to St James’ Park.

That would probably be the only way Bruce could silence the critics among his own supporters, some of whom were openly dissenting his continued employment in pre-season friendlies. So the last thing he needed was Premier League opposition in the shape of Burnley when the draw was made for the second round.

 

Aston Villa
Unlike Everton and Newcastle, Villa have a splendid League Cup pedigree. Only Manchester City and Liverpool have won it more often, with their last final appearance coming last year.

That trip to Wembley came amid a relegation scrap, so the Villans have no excuse not to channel their energy towards another final, with a European place more of a concern than the drop.

There is a feel-good factor around Villa Park right now, even in the wake of Jack Grealish’s exit, and Dean Smith seems to have the strength in depth to fight on all three domestic fronts. If last season’s exit at the hands of Stoke was a ‘missed opportunity’, then you would expect the Villa boss to resist the temptation to change his entire XI, as he did then, when they go to Barrow in front of the Sky Sports cameras on Tuesday night.

Leeds
Given the fact that Leeds are set to host Crewe on Tuesday night in front of a sell-out crowd at Elland Road, it certainly suggests there is an appetite in West Yorkshire for a Carabao Cup run.

That said, Leeds could sell tickets for Marcelo Bielsa’s bowel movements right now and 40,000 would show up. And when it comes to the cups, the Elland Road faithful have had to watch a lot of sh*t in recent years. United have lost their last seven cup ties – four in the FA Cup third round and three at the first stage in this competition.

Leeds fall into the comfy middle bracket of not having to worry about relegation while Europe remains unlikely. So the Bielsa, who is yet to win a top-level trophy in Europe, might as well target an improved cup run.