Arsene Wenger spent 22 years as the manager of Arsenal.
The legendary Frenchman is the most successful manager in the club’s entire history, but throughout his time at the club, he never won the Carabao Cup.
Mikel Arteta hasn’t done it in his six years at the club either, but the Arsenal manager has a big chance to win it this season.
Ahead of the semi-final first leg against Chelsea, the Spaniard was reminded of what Wenger used to do in the cup competitions all those years ago.
Arteta has ruled out repeating that.
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Mikel Arteta says he will not repeat Arsene Wenger’s Carabao Cup mistake at Arsenal
Arsene Wenger was often accused of not taking the Carabao Cup seriously.
The former Arsenal boss always preferred using the fringe players in the competition, and on many occasions, they impressed.
However, in the latter stages of the Carabao Cup, when the Gunners faced the bigger sides, they should’ve turned to their first-choice stars.
But Wenger always kept his faith in those who helped the club in earlier rounds and even started them in the semi-finals and finals.
That cost Arsenal many times in the past, which is perhaps why Arteta has made it clear now that he doesn’t believe in using different players for different competitions.
He said, as per the club’s official website: “Well, I think in our case, in my case, we cannot do that, because obviously players have to be available to be able to pick them there.
“And I don’t believe in players for competitions.
“I believe that we have competition and we want to compete in all competitions with the best moment of the players that we have at our resource, and that’s what we try to do.”
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Arsene Wenger’s 2007 Carabao Cup final mistake
Wenger deserves praise for having faith in the inexperienced players and giving them regular opportunities.
But in important fixtures like cup finals, the legendary Arsenal manager should’ve turned to his senior stars.
He did not do that in the 2007 Carabao Cup final.
Wenger went with a back four of Justin Hoyte, Kolo Toure, Philippe Senderos and Armand Traore against Chelsea’s attack that featured Andrey Shevchenko and Didier Drogba.
Abou Diaby was asked to play on the left flank, while Arsenal’s strikers on the day were Julio Baptista and Jeremie Aliadiere.
Unsurprisingly, the Gunners lost the game 2-0.
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