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Arsenal haven’t
won a major piece of silverware since 2005 when they beat Manchester United in
a penalty shoot out to win the FA Cup final at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium.
But they will be hoping to change the unenviable record when they face
Birmingham City in the Carling Cup final today at London’s Wembley
Stadium.Since that scrappy victory over Manchester United six years ago, Arsene
Wenger’s side have left their former home at Highbury for the Emirates Stadium,
reached the final of the UEFA Champions League (in 2006), the Carling Cup final
in 2007 and have been in the title race for the English Premier League title
again and again, but all without success.The club, despite the trophy draught,
continues to keep faith with the Frenchman who will no doubt be confident of
his team’s chances of breaking their hoodoo against a Birmingham City side they
have beaten twice already in the ongoing Premier League season.The first
victory was in October, at the Emirates Stadium, where the Gunners won 2-1
despite having Jack Wilshere sent off. It was then followed by a more
convincing 3-0 win by the London side on New Year’s Day at Saint
Andrew’s.However, for a side that prides itself as one of the best teams to
have ever come out of England, having finished as league champions on 13
occasions, and won 10 FA Cup titles, the Carling Cup is without a doubt far
less prestigious than the league title, as well as the Champions League
trophies that the Emirates faithful crave.

Fabregas out

Nevertheless, winning any trophy – regardless of stature – is
now a key priority for the north London outfit.”I don’t know if not winning a
trophy for a few years puts more pressure on us or not,” Wenger said.”All I do
know is that when you go into a final, you desperately want to win it.”It does
not matter who the favourites are, it depends on how you play on the day. There
is nothing we can do about not winning a trophy since 2005, you have to accept
it, but people should consider how consistent we have been.” If they have to do
it today, they will need to do it without their talismanic captain, Cesc
Fabregas, who has been ruled out of the Wembley final with a hamstring strain.
Fabregas has been joined on the injury train by Theo Walcott, a development
that has dampened the spirits of not a few Arsenal faithful in England and
elsewhere.Fabregas copped injury in Arsenal’s game against Stoke last
Wednesday. Commenting on the development, Wenger said:”It is a very small
injury but Cesc will be out for Sunday. He is disappointed. We all feel sorry
and sad for him. The only way we help him now is to win the Carling Cup as he
contributed a lot in this competition.” It is not certain whether the Spain
international will be fit for the trip to Camp Nou for the second leg of the
Champions League tie against Barcelona. Wenger has refused to comment on the
matter but Fabregas’ personal trainer, Juan Ferrando said on Spanish radio last
week that the midfielder should be fit for the clash against Barca.Despite
being injured, Fabregas wants to play but Wenger is having none of that. With
Arsenal still in contention for a Champions League quarter-final place after
beating Barcelona 2-1 in the first leg of the Round of 16

Birmingham desperate for vic-tory

If Arsenal have gone six years
without a trophy, Birmingham have waited ages for one. The Alex McLeish-coached
side has not won a major trophy since 1963 when they clinched the League Cup
after beating city rivals, Aston Villa in the final. The closest they have come
to laying their hands on a trophy was ten years ago when they lost on penalties
to Liverpool in the League Cup final.Currently in fifteenth place in the
Premier League, the team, which is fighting to avoid relegation, is more than
happy to be in the final having not been given any chance to do so by
bookmakers and football fans.Against Arsenal today, Birmingham would want to
win for yet another reason. Club owner Carson Yeung turns 51 today and the boys
want to give him a quality birthday present.”Carson has had a great run since
he came in here,” McLeish said.”The final will be momentous for him, not least
because it is his birthday. We would all love to give him the best birthday
present ever.With a player such as Nikola Zigic, who at 6ft 8 inches tall is
the league’s tallest man, filing out for Birmingham, Arsenal defenders will
have their work clearly cut out. Apart from Zigic the Gunners’ defenders will
also have to find a way to neutralise the threat of Birmingham’s new signing,
Obafemi Martins who is eager to prove that his goal against Sheffield in a an
FA Cup match on Tuesday was no fluke.But Birmingham are not without injury
worries of their own. Team doctors are working round the clock to ensure that
former Arsenal midfielder, Alexander Hleb, who had stints with Barcelona and
Stuttgart before joining Birmingham, overcome knee injury to feature in the
game.With Hleb’s fitness still a source of concern, another former Arsenal
player, Sebastian Larsson, is hopeful of action against a club where he started
his professional career.Other injury concerns for Birminhgam include the
absence of defenders, Scott Dan and Liam Ridgewell who are hit with hamstring
and calf injuries respectively. Central defender Martin Jiranek has been
declared fit after battling thigh injury.match played at the Emirates Stadium
on February 15, the manager does not want to risk such a key player especially
as the Gunners, currently placed second behind leaders, Manchester United, have
their sights set firmly on the Premier League title.