Arsenal only focused on trophy and not title-race mind games – Piero Hincapie

By Press Association Sport Staff

Arsenal defender Piero Hincapie is fully focused on victory in Sunday’s Carabao Cup final over Manchester City and not the impact it could make in the title race.

The top-two in the Premier League will do battle at Wembley for the first major trophy of the season.

Top-of-the-table Arsenal boast a nine-point advantage and success over Pep Guardiola’s team on Sunday could potentially deliver a mental blow to City’s hopes of clawing back the deficit to Mikel Arteta’s runaway leaders.

But asked if the Wembley final will impact the title race, Hincapie told reporters: “I don’t know.

“It’s going to be a very difficult game. We’re very focused on wanting to win it, but we have to work hard to win the title.

“We’re really focused on the final, which is a very important final.

“We’re going to train very hard to get to the final in the best way possible and to win the title. That’s the most important thing.”

This will be the second meeting between Arsenal and City during the campaign.

A stoppage-time strike by Gabriel Martinelli salvaged a point for the Gunners during the league clash at Emirates Stadium in September.

Arteta’s all-conquering team remained on course for an unprecedented quadruple with a 2-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a 3-1 aggregate win.

Hincapie was sad to knock out old club Leverkusen, but delighted to help Arsenal continue to compete on four fronts.

He said: “I’m really excited to have qualified for the quarter-finals with my club, but I’m also a bit sad because it was against my former club. This is football and I’m really happy.”