Arsenal face Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on Sunday afternoon with Mikel Arteta’s side still in the hunt for a remarkable quadruple
Connor O’Neill Senior Sports Content Creator
14:01, 18 Mar 2026
Declan Rice
Declan Rice admitted Sunday’s Carabao Cup final has been spoken about at length in the Arsenal dressing room and believes the result could prove pivotal when it comes to the Premier League run-in. The Gunners face Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on Sunday with Mikel Arteta’s side still in the hunt for a remarkable quadruple.
And Arsenal warmed up for this weekend’s showdown on Tuesday night by beating Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 to secure their place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. The Gunners currently lead City by nine points in the Premier League table, and Rice has warned Pep Guardiola’s side that he and his team-mates believe they can beat anyone at the minute.
“Definitely, it could be the start of something,” he told CBS. “It’s the first trophy that is up for grabs. If you win that, the momentum after that that takes you forward is massive.
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“But Sunday is going to be a great game against them, and it comes down to how much you want it. Arsenal are back in a final for maybe the first time since the Carabao Cup final in 2019, I think.
“So, how do you want it on Sunday? How much do you want to win a trophy for this team and these fans?”
Before the England international revealed: “The lads are already talking about it in there, we’re excited – we’re ready. At the minute, every game of football we go into, we believe we can win, so we’ll be ready and looking forward to it.”
Tuesday’s victory over the Bundesliga giants, thanks to goals from Eberechi Eze and Rice, means Arsenal are now unbeaten in 14 games in all competitions and remain fighting on all fronts.
“We find ways to win and it’s all good,” Rice said. “Everyone asks where I get my energy from – I just get this second burst of energy.
Eberechi Eze scored a wonderful goal for Arsenal in their win over Bayer Leverkusen(Image: Vince Mignott/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images)
“It’s so hard. I’m not just saying that. It’s mentally really, really tough, as hard as it is physically. You have to be really strong, really resilient. There’s ups, there’s downs.
“We’re all humans as well. Some days you go in and you’re like, ‘We’ve got another one in two days time, how are we going to get up for it again?’ But you just find that energy from somewhere.
“Obviously it’s amazing for us and the club that we’re in four competitions, and we have an amazing squad where everybody is ready and playing their part in major competitions.
“We’re in March now, the season ends in May. Two months left to give it everything we’ve got to leave a legacy at this club [and] hopefully win every competition.”
Welcome to ‘Seeing Red’ – our new Arsenal podcast
We’ve launched a new Arsenal podcast ‘Seeing Red’ with chief football writer John Cross and Arsenal reporter Tom Canton.
Each week, they will dive deep into the biggest topics as they follow Mikel Arteta’s side every step of the way – and will also discuss nostalgic flashbacks before each fixture.
It’s a great time to be an Arsenal fan, with the Gunners flying high under Arteta as they look to win silverware this season.
The North Londoners are going strong in the Premier League and Champions League – and they’re also in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.
We’ll provide insight and reaction – and have fun along the way – as Arsenal target the biggest trophies this season.
No stone will be left unturned. VAR controversy? Poor performances? Unsung hero who deserves praise? Fixture chaos? We’ll have it all covered.