Arsenal are determined to win the Carabao Cup for manager Arsene Wenger, says defender Hector Bellerin.
The Gunners boss has never lifted the trophy during his 21 years in England, and right-back Bellerin says it gives the team an extra incentive to beat Manchester City at Wembley on Sunday.
City go into the match as favourites, sitting 27 points ahead of their opponents in the Premier Leagu
“We should do it for him,” Bellerin said, adding that “The boss has been here for more than 20 years and everyone knows he hasn’t won this competition yet, so it’s another incentive for us.”
City are 15 points clear of nearest rivals Liverpool at the top of the Premier League, and are in the last 16 of the Champions League.
But their hopes of a Quadruple were ended by a 1-0 defeat at Wigan in the FA Cup on Monday.
Bellerin said: “They’re a team that had everything to play for but everyone is beatable, even the best teams in the world.
“Their performances have been great and they have a great team. They have a good defence now too which was one of the things previously that was lacking.
“They have a great team overall but it can be done. If it can be done by Wigan, it can be done by us.
“We have great players too and new players who have come in – we feel stronger than ever.”
Arsenal have not won this competition since 1993, when they beat Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 at Wembley under George Graham.
The Gunners have beaten Doncaster Rovers, Norwich City, West Ham United and Chelsea to reach the final, and victory over City would salvage a season that has not gone to plan.
They face a battle to finish in the top four of the Premier League and were knocked out of the FA Cup – a competition they won last season – by Nottingham Forest.
On Thursday, they advanced to the Europa League’s last 16 despite losing at home to Swedish side Ostersund.
Wenger has previously used the League Cup to give his younger players experience. But, with the Gunners so close to a trophy, he will be naming an experienced side at Wembley.
“Manchester City have so many players that you think you have to stop that it is better to focus on the team plan than rather than on any individual,” said Wenger.
“It’s true that I always used to use this competition with a youth team. For us it’s an opportunity. We’ll play with all the regular players.
“We go to Wembley and you want to win it, you want your fans to go home happy.”
Guardiola has won numerous trophies with Barcelona and Bayern Munich but none yet with City
City boss Pep Guardiola, meanwhile, has played down the personal significance of his side’s pursuit of silverware.
The Spaniard is potentially 90 minutes away from winning his first major trophy in English football, having won 21 across his spells in charge of Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
He said: “I’d like it not for me – for the club. We are here to try to win titles. The first step was to arrive in the final. We did it and now will we try to win it.”
Guardiola bemoaned the “wasted energy” of the League Cup earlier in the season.
The 47-year-old still feels the competition puts a heavy burden on English clubs, but it does not detract from his desire to win it.
“Everybody knows here in England it is so demanding,” he said. “All around the world they play three competitions, but here four.
“It’s one of the toughest schedules but if we were not interested in the competition we’d have dropped out in the first game.
“That will not happen. We will play every game to win. We deserve to be in the final and we are going to try to win.”
Guardiola said the final is a good opportunity for is players to get over their defeat by League One Wigan.
He said: “We are now involved in three so we are going, of course, to win.
“The team is stable, it’s been stable all season. The good moments come and there’ll be another one.
“We lost. Congratulations again to Wigan but now we are going to play a final. It is a moment to enjoy and be serious.”