Declan Rice: Carabao Cup could give Arsenal crucial momentum

By SABC Sport
18th March 2026

Arsenal head into Sunday's Carabao Cup final against Manchester City with growing belief that their recent progress can finally translate into silverware, according to midfielder Declan Rice.

The England international was on the scoresheet in midweek as Arsenal secured a 2-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen to book their place in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.

That result extended the Gunners' unbeaten run to 14 matches in all competitions, reinforcing confidence within the squad ahead of the Wembley showdown.

Rice has insisted Arsenal are "looking forward" to the occasion and believes his side are capable of beating any opponent at present.

His comments reflect a dressing room buoyed by strong form and the prospect of competing on multiple fronts, with talk of a potential quadruple still alive internally.

Sunday's final marks Arsenal's first major showpiece appearance since their 2020 FA Cup triumph under Mikel Arteta, offering a chance to end a five-year wait for silverware. It also represents their earliest opportunity to secure a trophy this season.

"Definitely, it could be the start of something," said Rice. "It is the first trophy that is up for grabs.

"If you win that, the momentum after that, that takes you forward, is massive.

"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."