Arsenal defender Piero Hincapié is fully committed to securing a win in Sunday’s Carabao Cup final against Manchester City, disregarding the potential implications for the title race.
The two top teams in the Premier League will clash at Wembley for the first major trophy of the season.
With Arsenal holding a nine-point lead at the top of the table, a victory over Pep Guardiola’s side on Sunday could deliver a significant psychological blow to City’s efforts to close the gap on Mikel Arteta’s dominant team.
However, when asked if the Wembley final could influence the title race, Hincapié responded to reporters, “I don’t know. It will be a very challenging match. We are completely focused on securing the win, but we also need to put in the effort to win the league.”
“Our main focus is the final, which is incredibly important. We are training hard to prepare as best as we can to win both the final and the title. That is our priority.”
This match will be the second encounter between Arsenal and City this season. In their previous league match at Emirates Stadium in September, a last-minute goal from Gabriel Martinelli earned the Gunners a point.
Arteta’s formidable squad is on track to achieve an unprecedented quadruple, following a 2-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen that secured their place in the Champions League quarterfinals with a 3-1 aggregate win.
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Hincapié expressed mixed feelings after eliminating his former club Leverkusen but is thrilled to be contributing to Arsenal’s pursuit of four trophies this season. He remarked, “I’m excited to have helped my team qualify for the quarterfinals, though it’s a bit bittersweet facing my old club. That’s football, and I’m grateful for our success.”