McManaman: Arsenal will land two trophies, not the lot

Steve McManaman has poured cold water on Arsenal's quadruple dreams, forecasting that Mikel Arteta's side will have to settle for two major honours this term.

The former Liverpool winger's assessment came in the wake of Arsenal's weekend victory over Mansfield Town, which propelled them into the FA Cup quarter-finals. With a seven-point lead atop the Premier League over Manchester City—who possess a game in hand and face the Gunners at the Etihad in April—the north London outfit appear well-positioned in the title race.

Arsenal also have the League Cup final against City to look forward to at Wembley later this month, whilst their commanding finish atop the Champions League league phase has earned them a last-16 tie against Bayer Leverkusen, with a potential quarter-final against either Bodo/Glimt or Sporting Lisbon awaiting should they progress.

Yet despite this seemingly favourable position across all four competitions, McManaman was adamant about Arsenal's ceiling. Speaking to TNT Sports following the Mansfield triumph on Saturday, he declared: "I think Arsenal will win two trophies this season – the league and a domestic cup."

Chelsea icon Joe Cole, however, has taken a markedly more optimistic stance regarding Arsenal's European prospects. Appearing on The Dressing Room Podcast, Cole highlighted how the draw has opened up the competition for the Gunners.

"Every team that has won it for the last ten years is on one side: Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, so it has opened up for Arsenal," Cole explained. "I think, personally, it's going to be an Arsenal versus Manchester City final. I think it will be an epic. I look at it, my only bet would be Arsenal going to the final."

Cole went on to express confidence in Arsenal's ability to overcome their knockout opponents. "Arsenal get to the final. They're going to beat Bayer Leverkusen, they ain't no cop, Sporting or Bodo/Glimt," he said, before adding: "Arsenal fans, book your tickets for Budapest, in my opinion."

The Chelsea legend did acknowledge uncertainty surrounding the other half of the draw, noting that Manchester City's presence there means "you still don't know because there's too many good teams."

For Arteta, the challenge now is managing expectations whilst maintaining the intensity required across multiple fronts. When asked about Arsenal's narrow 2-1 victory over Mansfield, the manager reflected on the character on display.

"That's the beauty of this competition," Arteta said. "There's the magic, the context, the opposition, the pitch, the crowd, which I think they made it beautiful because they put so much energy, intensity, a bit of banter as well at times, and that's why it is unique, that's why everybody loves playing it. You have to earn it, and it took a while to make sure that we had a game."