The Carabao Cup can often be viewed as an inconvenience by fans; a thorn in the side during what is almost always a busy start to the new season.
With fixtures piling up, and more pressing commitments in the Premier League and Champions League, midweek matches in a competition like the League Cup rarely top the list of the most important priorities – especially when the match isn’t even available for broadcast in the UK..
And, for the most part, I would agree.
That’s not to say it wouldn’t be nice to win the competition because any trophy is worth celebrating, more that it wouldn’t be a tragedy if we exited early.
As it was on Wednesday night, the Gunners managed to shrug off any lethargy or disinterest that may have transmitted to the squad to edge past a plucky Brentford side. Given we were away from home and fielding what would generously be described as a makeshift side, you have to be happy with that.
Indeed, small positives are the best way to view these matches.
Away from the white-hot glare of the Premier League, this was a fairly relaxed atmosphere in which to get some minutes into legs, rotate a few players, play with formations, and keep the squad and fans engaged in a competition that might ultimately yield a trophy. What’s not to like about that?
Chief among the benefits was the chance to see the likes of Emile Smith Rowe and Reiss Nelson play some football. Opportunities for the two Hale End youngsters won’t be as forthcoming as either might like this season so getting stuck into proceedings when and where they can will be crucial.
It was nice also to see minutes in the tank for Jorginho, Mohamed Elneny, Jakub Kiwior and young Charles Sagoe Junior.
We shouldn’t also overlook the value of a good defensive effort and the Gunners certainly looked sharp in the second half, when they were called upon to do quite a lot of defending indeed. That resilience and determination to secure the clean sheet will have done no harm at all and it certainly wouldn’t hurt to see a bit more of it at the Emirates Stadium.
In the grand scheme of things, I’m sure there would have been precious few tears shed if we’d gone down 1-0 last night, not least because it would have freed up a midweek slot for some rest somewhere else in the season.
Instead, we collected a clean sheet, a win, and the manager was able to spread some playing time around what is still a sizeable squad, albeit one diminished by injuries. They may be small positives, but they are positives nonetheless.
Full focus now turns to Saturday and to Bournemouth.
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