SEMIS TONIC
Milk. Littlewoods. Rumbelows. Coca-Cola. Worthington’s. Carling. Capital One. Carabao. No matter which name is above the door, the League Cup has maintained certain traditions and idiosyncrasies, including those two-legged semi-finals. The exploits of fourth-tier Bradford City aside, these double-headers tend not to linger in the collective memory, being neither as high profile as Bigger Cup’s final four, nor as singular as the one-off FA Cup semis. Still, we have to respect the Football League’s grind here – it has managed to keep this format quirk in place for England’s third biggest trophy while the global football calendar destroys itself. Its trump card: asking the Premier League for some extra pennies to scrap the second leg. And so, we continue.
This week’s first-leg ties were lacking a plucky outsider, a Burton Albion or West Ham primed to get absolutely gubbed by Manchester City. Instead, City faced holders Newcastle while Arsenal and Chelsea contested a La’hn derby. As ever with the League Cup, the Bigger Picture was very much in play. Sitting sixth and eighth respectively in the Premier League, Newcastle and Chelsea had a chance to bloody the nose of a heavyweight and show they are capable of bridging the gap. Instead, the two host clubs were quickly reminded of their limitations by windmilling prize fighters, Arsenal and City leaving their opponents on the ropes before return legs that now look more like exercises in risk management.
This was no foregone conclusion. Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal had lost their last four two-legged semi-finals, including to Newcastle in last year’s competition; they may yet lose this one too, but Wednesday’s 3-2 scoreline felt kind on Chelsea. Like a pugnacious nephew, Liam Rosenior’s lads were scrappy and determined, but still relatively easy to keep at arm’s length. If Robert Sánchez keeps his place in goal, a corner for Arsenal at the Emirates will be as good as a goal. Tuesday’s tussle at St James’ Park felt like a closer contest, with Newcastle fans’ fervour barely dampened by a VAR check that lasted longer than some League Cup sponsorship deals. Still, when Rayan Cherki fired home City’s second goal in stoppage time, the sense of collective resignation was palpable.
Feel free to bookmark this for obvious reasons, but it looks like Arsenal v Manchester City in March’s final. We’ve been treated to some classic Wembley showdowns in recent years, from Klopp’s Kidz v Billion Pound Bottle Jobs, to Maurizio Sarri v Kepa Arrizabalaga. The spiky rivalry between Arteta and his old mentor, Pep Guardiola, could certainly use a weird, winner-takes-all crossover edition. Arteta has undeniably transformed Arsenal’s standing since taking over as manager, but has just one major trophy to show for it, an FA Cup won at an empty Wembley. Arsenal fans haven’t been able to celebrate League Cup glory since the Coca-Cola-tinged days of 1993, Steve Morrow and all that. Victory for either manager would taste sweeter than the sweetest incarnation of Carabao. Which is very sweet indeed.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“I was destined to become president of Fifa. Everything happened because they didn’t want that. The ban was a big injustice and overall it was political. A group of people decided to kill me” – former Uefa president Michel Platini gets his chat on with Nick Ames about his downfall, Gianni Infantino and the snakepit of the game’s governance. It’s well worth a read.
FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS
I have an issue with the Football Daily newsletter’s tone. I feel like you try to insert so many jokes/snarky comments or choose certain words that make it come across to me as a bit unserious, such as yesterday’s edition. I’m mostly able to ignore this and won’t unsubscribe because of it, but consider toning it down or change the name of the newsletter to what it really is: Football Daily (with jokes)“ – Kachilapo Mulongoti.
Uefa shutting out Mariana Cabral because she lacks the ‘right’ Pro Licence (yesterday’s Quote of the Day) feels about as modern as a fax machine in a village post office, and just as transparent as the old circus that nearly punched boxing into irrelevance. It’s the same weary routine: dress up gatekeeping as ‘standards’, funnel opportunity toward the same old boys’ network, and feign surprise when people spot the unmistakable whiff of favouritism. Cabral’s experience simply confirms what fans have muttered for years: Fifa and Uefa aren’t stewards of the game, they’re heritage institutions propped up by ego, nostalgia, and a financial ecosystem held together with tape and hypocrisy” – Harry Webb.
Congratulations to Max Ibrahimovic on his move to Ajax (yesterday’s News, Bits and Bobs, full email edition). Unrelatedly, I wonder if his dad ever regretted helping pick the name ‘Max Ibrahimovic’ for his son, rather than a line of fragrances, athlete’s foot creams and/or personal massagers?” – Rowan Sweeney.
Your story about Swindon manager Ian Holloway’s distaste for modern communication methods can’t be right (yesterday’s Football Daily, full email edition). His recent defence of Ollie Clarke’s conduct suggests he is all in favour of digital interventions, does it not?” – Dale Sellers.
If you have any, please send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s winner of our prizeless letter o’ the day is … Dale Sellers. Terms and conditions for our competitions, when we have them, are here.
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