5 reasons why Arsenal have a good shot at one of the cups

With Manchester City streaking ahead in the Premier League table right now, it seems like a true title challenge is beyond any of England’s other big clubs. Of all of the other potential challengers, though, that rings true mostly for Arsenal.

Arsene Wenger’s team once again failed to truly strengthen in the summer transfer window – only signing Alexandre Lacazette and Sead Kolasinac – and they currently sit 6th in the league table.

With a title challenge out of the window – and let’s be honest, it will likely be a struggle for them to even make the Champions League at this point – it might be a good time for Arsenal to turn their attention to the two domestic cup competitions.

After all, a little bit of silverware – even if it’s something like the Carabao Cup – could help to settle down the fans who might be angry about the lack of a true title challenge.

Here are five reasons why Arsenal could definitely still win one of the cup competitions this season.

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#5 None of the other big clubs really care

Mauricio Pochettino has yet to win a trophy with Tottenham, but nobody seems to mind

One of the big criticisms of Tottenham – Arsenal’s biggest rivals – since Mauricio Pochettino took over is that for all of their improvements – they’re now top four regulars and genuine title contenders – they have yet to actually win any silverware.

But realistically, does that matter? Or is it true that being in the Champions League, facing off against Europe’s elite, and challenging for the title is better than winning one of the secondary cups?

While the fans might flip-flop over this particular issue, it’s almost certain that the money men behind the scenes at the clubs would certainly prefer a spot in the Champions League than a cup win. The Champions League is a ticket to untold riches, and if you can stay there you’re instantly seen as one of Europe’s true elite clubs. And of course, Arsene Wenger himself argued for years that getting into the Premier League’s top four counted as much as winning a trophy.

So will the other big clubs – particularly the five still in the Champions League; Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham – really be focused on the cup competitions? Most likely not.

The Carabao Cup is all but over already – more on that in a moment – and while the FA Cup is only just getting started, it’s a distraction that those five clubs simply don’t want or need. Meaning the path is clear for Arsenal to capture one of those trophies.

#4 They’re already in the Carabao Cup semi-finals

Arsenal are already in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup

This one’s pretty simple, really – Arsenal have a massive chance of winning one of the cups because they’re already in the semi-finals of the secondary Carabao Cup, meaning that they’re only three games away from victory.

Granted, they haven’t got the easiest draw in the semi-finals – they face off against Chelsea over two legs – but it could’ve been worse, as Manchester City sit on the opposite side of the draw. It could’ve been better too, of course, as Championship side Bristol City are the other semi-finalists.

But is there any reason to suggest Arsenal couldn’t beat Chelsea over two legs? Definitely not. They drew 0-0 with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge earlier in the season in the Premier League, and naturally, that was a full-strength Chelsea team.

It’s more likely that Antonio Conte will play a weakened side in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup, given the two games come in the midst of a packed Premier League schedule – the first leg actually comes a week after a Premier League fixture between the two clubs – and right before the Champions League restarts. Which could definitely mean Arsenal come out on top.

And if they make the final, naturally, a showdown with Manchester City can be expected – for Bristol City to defeat Pep Guardiola’s men over two legs would be one of the biggest upsets in English football history – and of course, Arsenal would be the underdogs in that game.

But with City fully focused on the Premier League and Champions League, and Premier League records likely there to be broken, can they really afford to focus on a secondary cup? Probably not, which is why Arsenal would have a huge chance of beating them in a single game, especially if they treat it as their biggest game of 2017/18.

#3 They have a deep enough squad

Arsenal have a great squad, including Xhaka, Lacazette and Ozil

Arsene Wenger has been massively criticised over recent seasons for his lack of spending – particularly when compared to the sheer amounts of money being thrown around by his rivals – but in reality, that doesn’t mean that Arsenal have a weak squad.

Admittedly they have nowhere near the strength in depth of Manchester City or Chelsea, for instance, but due to their general success – being in the Champions League recently – and their status as one of England’s big six, they still have some amazing talent.

In Alexis Sanchez, Alexandre Lacazette and Mesut Ozil, they have a trio of the Premier League’s best attacking players, and that isn’t even mentioning the likes of Danny Welbeck, Olivier Giroud, and Aaron Ramsey – all proven, top-class international players.

Then there’s Mustafi, Bellerin, Kolasinac, Cech, Xhaka, the list goes on. Basically Arsenal’s squad is only weak in comparison with the very best in the country – ignore them and the depth is tremendous.

What does this mean? When teams play weakened sides in cups, Arsenal’s so-called weakened side is actually very strong. You could even argue that due to the more level playing field of Arsenal’s squad, with only Sanchez and Ozil standing out as true superstars, a weak Arsenal team is almost as strong as their best side.

Is there really any difference between Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey, for instance? Or Theo Walcott and Alex Iwobi? Due to this, I’d say Arsenal actually might have a better chance at picking up the FA Cup than one of their large rivals.

#2 It’s a chance for lesser players to shine

The cup competitions are a chance for fringe players like Jack Wilshere to shine

In a somewhat related note, Arsenal’s squad – filled with great, but not necessarily world-class talent – might actually be better equipped to pick up one of the secondary cups than one of their mega-talented rivals like Manchester City or Chelsea.

This is largely because if you’re a player on the periphery at one of those sides, the likelihood of breaking into the first team proper is pretty low. For instance, even if he scores a bagful in a cup competition, would anyone really buy the possibility of Michy Batshuayi replacing Alvaro Morata as the focal point of Chelsea’s attack? Probably not.

With a good run in the cup competitions, though, could Jack Wilshere perhaps supplant Granit Xhaka in the centre of Arsenal’s midfield? Almost certainly. Could Danny Welbeck or Olivier Giroud find themselves as the Gunners’ first choice striker if they score enough goals in the cup and Alexandre Lacazette finds himself misfiring in the league? Definitely.

And it’s this chance of breaking into the first team that might allow Arsenal’s fringe players to push themselves harder than the players in other sides.

Take last season, for instance – after a disastrous performance early in the season against Liverpool, young defender Rob Holding wasn’t expected to feature much for Arsenal for the rest of the season. But as Arsene Wenger switched to a three-man system at the back, Holding came back into the forefront of his plans, partly due to his impressive showings in the FA Cup.

Indeed, he was arguably Arsenal’s standout player in their FA Cup final win over Chelsea last May. Could someone like Wilshere, or even a youngster like Ashley Maitland-Niles become that player this season? With some good performances in the cup – especially if Arsenal win one - I don’t see why not.

#1 There are plenty of all-Premier League FA Cup ties

Multiple Premier League sides - including one of Liverpool or Everton - will be out of the FA Cup early

When it comes to the FA Cup, Premier League sides have held a monopoly over the competition since the league’s inauguration back in 1992/93. In fact, since then no team from outside of the Premier League has ever won England’s biggest cup competition and only two non-Premier League teams – Millwall in 2003/04 and Cardiff City in 2007/08 – have even reached the final.

And with the gulf between the Premier League and Championship as big as it’s ever been, it’s a safe bet that a Premier League side will lift the cup this season too.

That’s why it’s a big plus for Arsenal’s cup hopes that there are multiple all-Premier League ties in the third round, which takes place next weekend. Arsenal have been drawn away at Championship side Nottingham Forest, but other Premier League sides weren’t so lucky.

Burnley face Manchester City, Brighton and Hove Albion face Crystal Palace, and in the biggest tie of them all, Merseyside’s two giants face off when Liverpool and Everton clash. That guarantees at least three Premier League sides are gone after the third round is over, and the likelihood of at least one upset is also there.

Could Arsenal fall foul? It’s doubtful as their squad is simply too strong when compared to Forest’s. But bottom-of-the-table Swansea might be in deep trouble as they face current Championship league leaders Wolves, and upset wins for Bristol City against Watford and Fulham against Southampton wouldn’t be too huge of a shock either.

And for a side like Arsenal who could be considered a favourite to win the famed trophy, the more Premier League sides that are eliminated early from the competition, the better.