3 talking points ahead of Arsenal vs Bolton

  • Arsenal host League One Bolton in EFL Cup
  • Chance for Mikel Arteta to rotate
  • Youngsters may finally get their chance
The Gunners face League One opposition in the cup
The Gunners face League One opposition in the cup / Michael Regan/GettyImages
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2. Time to take domestic cups seriously

Mikel Arteta
Arsenal do not have the best domestic cup record under Arteta / Catherine Ivill/GettyImages

It can be argued that Arsenal have not taken domestic cups seriously during Arteta's reign. Despite winning the FA Cup in his maiden season, his side have a poor record in both domestic cup competitions since.

The Gunners made it to the semi-finals of the EFL Cup in the 2021/22 season but have failed to make it past the fourth round in the past two campaigns. Arteta's side have also been unable to make it past that stage in the FA Cup since winning the trophy in the 2019/20 season.

This is not good enough for a club of Arsenal's stature and taking into account the records of clubs such as Man City and Liverpool in this competition, they should be looking to be on the same level. Arteta now has a squad with great depth meaning he is able to rotate without the fear of decreasing the team's quality and overplaying important squad members. As a result, it is time for Arsenal and Arteta to start taking domestic cup competitions seriously, starting with the EFL Cup.

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