00:00The Carabao Cup final, being later than usual this year, could give Arsenal a huge psychological
00:05advantage in the title race. And here's how. The League Cup final is traditionally at the end of
00:10February. However, this year's final will take place on the 22nd of March, the latest it's been
00:15since the mid-90s, other than the disrupted Covid season. Arsenal have a mental barrier that needs
00:20breaking when it comes to getting over the line. City, serial winners in their own right, are
00:25underdogs for the first time under Guardiola against the Gunners when it comes to winning
00:29trophies this season. Whilst lifting the Carabao Cup in isolation is not a goal for either team,
00:35beating their rival at Wembley in a final could make or break the title race. Arsenal, plagued by the
00:41title of bottlers, would surely suffer psychologically if they were beaten by a, let's be honest, inferior
00:46Man City team. The ghosts of seasons past will begin to haunt Arsenal again, and they would need to show
00:51more mental resilience than ever before. City would be rejuvenated. But Arsenal will only have
00:57seven games of the Premier League season left after their trip to Wembley. They're currently
01:01six points clear and could conceivably have run away with the title before they even meet City
01:06in the final. The bottle window, as I'm calling it, will be significantly smaller than it might
01:11have otherwise been. Maybe the stars have finally aligned for the Gunners this season. Maybe it won't
01:16matter at all and Arsenal win the quadruple with or without a March Carabao Cup final. Or maybe the
01:21scheduling has given Arsenal an edge over their title nemesis in Arteta's reign.
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