Shearer: Arsenal's Quadruple Dream Hinges on Manchester City Test

Alan Shearer has thrown his weight behind Arsenal's pursuit of an unprecedented Quadruple—provided they clear a significant hurdle this weekend. The Newcastle legend's optimism hinges entirely on the Gunners seeing off Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final.

With Mikel Arteta's outfit top of the Premier League and still active across all four competitions, the opportunity is genuinely there. The squad has been bolstered substantially, too—a £250m investment last summer has equipped Arsenal with genuine depth in every department.

"If Arsenal win the Carabao Cup, the quadruple is seriously on," Shearer told Betfair. "And it's a big if because it's a huge game, a huge game for both clubs because this probably is City's last chance in terms of the silverware. It's a huge game for both clubs but yeah, If Arsenal win this one, then the talk will intensify of winning four trophies, which clearly has never been done before."

The clash against City carries enormous significance for both parties, though Arsenal's broader position in the title race and their progression in the Champions League and FA Cup suggests they're the ones better positioned to capitalise on the moment.

Richards Backs Arsenal's European Credentials

Micah Richards has gone further, identifying Arsenal as genuine contenders to lift the Champions League trophy. Speaking on The Rest Is Football, the former City defender highlighted the Gunners' defensive solidity as their trump card.

"When you look at the Champions League and the way Arsenal play defensively, I said it a couple of weeks ago, they can win it, they would be one of my favourites, they have a better chance to win that because defensively and they always nick a goal," Richards explained.

Richards believes Arsenal's route to the Champions League final is entirely manageable, particularly given their current Premier League position. That buffer in the title race means a Carabao Cup defeat needn't derail their season, with the bigger prizes still very much within reach.

"If you're looking at Arsenal's potential route to the Champions League final you'd take that all day and then you're thinking you've got that little buffer in the Premier League, I'd be looking at the League Cup thinking it's a trophy but it's not the biggest trophy. If they were to lose that, I wouldn't be losing sleep over it because they are in a perfect position now to win two humungous trophies."

Barcelona Would Be Vulnerable

Should Arsenal encounter Barcelona in Europe, Richards is in no doubt about the likely outcome. The Gunners' pace and directness would prove devastating against the Spanish side's high defensive line.

"Arsenal would beat Barcelona. If Barcelona play that high line then Arsenal would absolutely batter them," Richards said. "If they take it back five yards, Barcelona could absolutely batter Arsenal."

He highlighted Arsenal's attacking threats as particularly well-suited to exploiting Barcelona's potential vulnerabilities. "Martinelli, 100 per cent, would absolutely love to play against that without doubt," Richards added, also noting that even Victor Gyokeres—not known for blistering pace—would thrive in such circumstances given his history of running off the shoulder at Sporting.

The message is clear: Arsenal are positioned to make serious noise on multiple fronts, but everything starts with City this weekend.