Keeping Arsenal’s League Cup trauma in perspective
Keeping Arsenal’s League Cup trauma in perspective Arsenal’s League Cup final defeat to Manchester City was grim viewing, but with a nine point lead in the league and two winnable quarter finals ahead, this is just a small setback. History of Wembley pain meets live title race as supporters weigh League Cup trauma against a season still alive on three fronts Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images If you go back and read my last article for this website, you will find me talking about treating success and failure as the same two impostors. Okay, there was then a sentence which began “That said…”, but I think it’s very important that we don’t get too carried away in the aftermath of Arsenal’s second half no show at Wembley, which saw Manchester City win the League Cup for what seems like the 10th time in a decade.
I know it isn’t, I’m just saying that it seems like it is. And, to be fair, it might be important to you and you might want to get carried away about it. That’s fair enough, trips to Wembley don’t come around very often and it is your right to be upset about yet another League Cup final catastrophe.
Just as long as you bear in mind the fact that we have seven games left to play in the Premier League and are currently nine points clear at the top of the table. We are also in very winnable quarter finals in both the FA Cup and the Champions League. You might call this copium, I prefer to think of it as perspective.
And, let’s face it, if you’re here and still reading, it’s perspective that you’re here for, right? Especially as regards a competition that just seems to exist only to kick us squarely in the balls at any given opportunity. Even sitting in the living room at my Uncle Stevie’s on Sunday as we watched the final and dreams of a first trophy in six years slip away; Stevie, generally the most frustrated Arsenal fan on the planet, let his anger at Mikel Arteta’s refusal to introduce Max Dowman subside.
He laughed as he began to recall how, as a nine-year-old, he had watched, and cried, as Arsenal lost to third division Swindon Town in this very same competition. He didn’t mention Luton Town and I have my own Birmingham City story from 15 years ago (yes, dear Auntie I was there with my head in my hands – like a lot people). Nine finals, seven defeats sits in stark contrast to our incredibly proud record in the FA Cup.
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