Арсенал (Лондон, Англия)

For Arsenal, the drought may soon be over. It is almost six years since Patrick Vieira hoisted aloft the FA Cup on the podium at the Millennium Stadium and a squad still infused with the spirit of the Invincibles of the previous season celebrated the seventh major honour of Arsène Wenger's tenure as deflated Manchester United players skulked from the turf.

That drab and goalless occasion might be more easily forgettable had the trophy cupboard not remained bare ever since. Back then there was an assumption that this club would claim silverware regularly. On Friday Wenger spoke of "a weight" pressing down on his team but, against Birmingham City at an expectant Wembley, his side can be liberated.

There is an irony that it is the Carling Cup, a competition that Wenger has always treated with a measure of disdain despite his team's excellent record in reaching the latter stages, which the Frenchman now hopes will provide a catalyst for more significant prizes. Only last year, when reflecting upon Aston Villa's appearance in the final against United, the Arsenal manager had risked riling Martin O'Neill. "If you win the League Cup," he had said, "for me you cannot say you win 'trophies'."

That outlook has been tempered – Wenger recognises this club needs to remind itself how to win – though he is consistent in his attitude towards the Carling Cup's long-term significance. Victory will be a springboard to further successes, not the culmination of a season's work even if the longest trophyless run of his 27-year managerial career is ended. Arsenal are competing on four fronts and, should they lose against Birmingham but win any of the other three, they would end more satisfied.

"It's not the main trophy," Wenger said. "The most important are the championship and the Champions League. Then the FA Cup and, only then, the Carling Cup. But to win a trophy would give us a lift. It's true that winning it will mean we no longer have to answer that question 'are we able to win trophies?', but I'd still argue that the most difficult thing to achieve is consistency at the top. The proof of that is that only two clubs have been able to finish in the top four for each of the last 12 years: us and United. But winning this trophy will convince my team that they can deliver more."

They have come close before. The Carling Cup may have been considered primarily an opportunity to blood bright young things, but Arsenal have been quarter-finalists at the least every year since 2003. That is a measure of the power of their youth ranks. Wenger considered the lesser domestic cup "a revelation" for developing his players but, this year, for the first time perhaps since the latter days of the Invincibles, Arsenal's squad appears to boast real depth. Their selections no longer feel weakened.

The whole level of squad quality has been raised: fringe players can be expected to excel, youth-team graduates are now first-team regulars. Jack Wilshere, Nicklas Bendtner, Alex Song and Johan Djourou all began the eye-catching 6-0 dismissal of Sheffield United in the third round in September 2008. All will start at Wembley. Cesc Fábregas, too, first made an impact in this competition. "The League Cup gave them their first taste of a big game, and they won't forget that," Wenger said.

If that provides the players with special motivation, then the management, too, has recognised the value of claiming the trophy for the first time since 1993. Wenger may not be comfortable lingering on the period without silverware, but he does not rest on past successes either. He claims not to remember where any of the winners' medals accumulated over a glittering managerial career have been stored. "I'm a futurist, I'm not nostalgic," he said. "I don't collect anything. Some must be in a cupboard somewhere."

But, while his side may have been growing steadily, they have too often stumbled at the last. The psychological impact of success on Sunday is clear with their determination to succeed in the Carling Cup apparently set in stone at the start of the campaign. "This season the boss really wanted to go for it because this team needs some sort of mental boost, or mental unblocking, that can come from winning a trophy," Fábregas said. "As soon as we win something together, we will realise we can really go on and win more."

The Spaniard, the only current Arsenal player who featured in that final in 2005 but absent on Sunday, is a World Cup winner. For most in this squad, first-team success of any kind has been elusive. The only trophy of Bacary Sagna's career to date remains the 2005 French Cup. "Just when we were close to winning something at Arsenal, we'd get scared," he said. "We'd stop playing. We have not reacted in the right way, but now we can look forward. This game is a chance to show everyone we can win things. We have got wiser and have learned from our mistakes and our problems. We are ready. We were scared, but we are not any more."

That resolve will be tested by Birmingham yet, regardless of Arsenal's ability to return from a mini-wilderness, Wenger will remain focused on greater prizes. There will be no open top bus rides through Islington on Monday if victorious, with the squad due to begin preparations for the FA Cup fifth-round replay against Leyton Orient. "This job turns you forward," added Wenger. "When you go to bed at night, do you look back at the good moments you've had in your life, or do you look forward at what you want to do in the future? I'm more about what's happening tomorrow." So often the world has been told this team is crammed with natural-born winners. Now they can prove it.

Goalkeeper

Jens Lehmann's finest two hours for Arsenal came during their last trophy win. Impenetrable in the 2005 FA Cup final against Manchester United, he saved the decisive penalty from Paul Scholes in the shoot-out. It felt like a cathartic moment for him at the end of a season when his pride was pierced by the ignominy of being dropped for Manuel Almunia. The German refused to accept that the reserve he barely deigned to talk to could ever be a better keeper than him. As it turned out, over the past few seasons Almunia has strained to cope with the responsibility of being No1.

It is bizarre that a club of Arsenal's stature should muddle through in such a critical position for so long, with Almunia and Lukasz Fabianski taking turns to have the jitters for the most part. This season has seen the cream rise to the top. Circumstances have elevated Wojciech Szczesny and Emirates regulars are still enjoying the novelty of seeing a cocksure, authoritative goalkeeper between the posts. The 20-year-old has made a vital difference.

Defence

Having proved that he can construct a miserly defence in the undefeated league season of 2003-04, Wenger has found it enormously tricky to replicate the feat. In 2005 the back four contained experienced players who have always taken it as an affront to concede a goal: Lauren, Sol Campbell, Kolo Touré, Ashley Cole. But there was a hint of problems to come with the lack of reliable cover at centre-back. Philippe Senderos never quite won the faith of the manager, while Pascal Cygan always looked like something of an aberration in the Wenger masterplan.

It has not been easy to unearth quality in that position. The manager once mused that you don't just pick up a great centre-back at the supermarket. Indeed. Even seasoned internationals couldn't quite fit the bill. Mikaël Silvestre was unconvincing, William Gallas suffered when he was given the captaincy, Campbell returned for a cameo and Sébastien Squillaci has been error-prone. Wenger has been more successful with slightly more expensive shopping. Thomas Vermaelen was the new bedrock until injury removed him for the bulk of this campaign. Laurent Koscielny shows promise. The key to recent solidity, though, has been a youth product who is flourishing at last in Johan Djourou.

Midfield

In reaching the 2006 Champions League final Wenger found a fine balance in the heart of his Arsenal team: Gilberto Silva anchored diligently, Freddie Ljungberg and Alexander Hleb probed energetically, a young Cesc Fábregas provided the vision, Mathieu Flamini the crackle, and Robert Pires was on hand to lend finesse. The premature departures of Gilberto and Flamini were a problem for a while, exacerbated when Lassana Diarra came and went with unseemly haste, but the emergence of Alex Song has fixed that.

Samir Nasri has grown into a worthy successor to Pires, Fábregas has become ever more influential, and together with Andrey Arshavin the midfield is a rich source of goals as well as pretty possession once more. Hleb was a rarity anywhere near the scoresheet. And then there is Jack Wilshere. The prodigy has fast become a thrilling member of the establishment, and he has his place for keeps at the expense of older players who have had to move to the fringe in Abou Diaby and Denílson. People forget that Diaby suffered the same kind of injury as Aaron Ramsey at a similar age. He has never quite been the player he was expected to blossom into, and must wait to see how fully Ramsey can overcome his setback.

Attack

The tactical curiosity of the 2005 FA Cup final is that the veteran Dennis Bergkamp foraged up front as a lone striker. The strategy was quirkily unusual for Wenger's Arsenal. It was a sign of how desperate they were to avoid defeat to Manchester United. Thierry Henry was out injured, and the manager was not confident of outscoring opponents who had the beating of them that season. Of course, the issue of a long-term replacement for Henry had been rumbling along, as each summer the heavyweight suitors flashed their cash around Highbury.

Robin van Persie and José Antonio Reyes were the main contenders brought in young with a view to taking over up front eventually. Reyes was an expensive disappointment, while Van Persie's career has been punctuated by such repetitive injuries he has earned the soubriquet "glass ankles". This season, having recovered from his latest spell in the treatment room, Van Persie has come back in fine style. For very different reasons Eduardo and Emmanuel Adebayor came and went but ended up cult hero and cult villain respectively. Van Persie now has two big men (Nicklas Bendtner and Marouane Chamakh) and a speed merchant (Theo Walcott) for company, who have 27 goals between them this season. Van Persie has 12 from 12 starts.

Cup finals are meant to be enjoyable occasions but this one provides Arsenal with sizeable stress as they face the challenge of claiming a first trophy in six years. Arsène Wenger's team will be expected to flourish against opponents they humbled 3-0 on New Year's Day, even though their captain, Cesc Fábregas, and Theo Walcott are missing through injury. Birmingham, fresh from reaching the FA Cup quarter-finals, may just feel they can cause a shock and win the League Cup for the first time in almost half a century. Sachin Nakrani

CARLING CUP FINAL Venue Wembley Stadium Tickets Sold out Last season n/a Referee M Dean

This season's matches 22 Y78, R2, 3.64 cards per game

sportingbet odds Arsenal 9-20 Birmingham 21-4 Draw 3-1

Arsenal

Subs from Almunia, Eboué, Squillaci, Gibbs, Miquel, Cruise, Diaby, Denílson, Bendtner, Chamakh

Doubtful Diaby (calf), Koscielny (back), Van Persie (hamstring) Injured Walcott (ankle, Mar), Fábregas (shoulder, Mar), Fabianski (shoulder, Aug), Frimpong (knee, Aug), Vermaelen (achilles, unknown) Suspended NoneForm guide (all comps) WDWWDW Disciplinary record Y61 R8 Leading scorer Nasri 14

Birmingham

Subs from Taylor, Phillips, Fahey, Jerome, Murphy, Martins, Hleb

Doubtful Hleb (knee), Jerome (ankle), Jiranek (thigh), Ridgewell (calf)

Injured Dann (hamstring, Aug), McFadden (knee, Aug), Vallès (foot, 1 Mar)

Ineligible Bentley, Davies, Doyle (all cup-tied)

Form guide (all comps) WLWWDW

Disciplinary record Y41 R1

Leading scorer Gardner, Zigic 7

Match pointers

• Arsenal have played in six previous League Cup finals, winning only two of them

• Birmingham have featured in two League Cup finals, winning in 1963 and losing, on penalties, in 2001

• Samir Nasri has scored in all three of his previous games against Birmingham

• Six of the eight Premier League goals Birmingham have scored against Arsenal have come from set pieces

• Mike Dean was the referee for the 2-2 draw between these sides in 2008, best remembered for the leg break suffered by Eduardo da Silva

косельни лох!

я плачу.

Wojciech Szczesny 4.4 Bacary Sagna 5.1 Laurent Koscielny 3.9 Johan Djourou 4.9

Gael Clichy 4.6 Tomas Rosicky 4.0 Samir Nasri 5.6 Alexandre Song 4.8

Jack Wilshere 6.3 Andrey Arshavin 5.4 Marouane Chamakh 4.2 Robin van Persie 6.2

Nicklas Bendtner 4.4 - это были оценки guardian.com

Wojciech Szczesny 4 4.2 Gael Clichy 6 4.7 Johan Djourou 7 5.1 Bacary Sagna 6 5.0

Laurent Koscielny 4 3.6 Alex Song 5 4.4 Jack Wilshere 7 6.5 Robin van Persie 8 6.8 Tomas Rosicky 6 4.3 Andrey Arshavin 5 5.6 Samir Nasri 7 6.0

Nicklas Bendtner (Sub) 5 4.4 Marouane Chamakh (Sub) 5 4.0 - это sky sports

1. Jack Wilshere 45% 2. Robin van Persie 20% 3. Samir Nasri 14% - это arsenal.com

На совести француза. Сам 50% своей недолгой футбольной карьеры провел в воротах, поэтому сужу с точки зрения вратаря. Так вот, если вратарь дал команду, что мяч его, то ты сквозь землю должен провалиться, но дать свободно ему сыграть на мяче, а не лезть с желанием его выбить. Хотя если а) команды не было, и б) ты уже все-таки пошел его выбивать, в) ты его должен с мясом выбить, а не заниматься полу ерундой. А так финал по большей части был наш (удары 20-10, и 8-5 в створ), но матч свелся к одному эпизоду, который мы проиграли плюс тактически Венгер полностью проиграл "стол" Маклишу