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Kai Havertz is looking to bank his first piece of major silverware since joining Arsenal from Chelsea in the summer of 2023 as he looks ahead towards this weekend's Carabao Cup final against Manchester City
Kai Havertz insists Arsenal intend to use the Carabao Cup final to lay down a marker to Premier League title rivals Manchester City for the rest of the season.
The hungry German forward makes no secret of the fact the Gunners are "desperate" to win trophies and victory on Sunday would help set the tone for further silverware this term.
Havertz told Arsenal's official podcast 'The Dispatch': "I don't think it's like another match, it's one game and if you don't win, you're out.
"It's going to be a big one. Arsenal versus City always is but this especially given the circumstances in the league, it's going to be amazing.
"We want to show we are right there and want to show them that we're desperate to win trophies this year and that starts on Sunday. We will prepare very well for that and try to bring the trophy home."
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Despite a Community Shield penalty-shootout victory over City in 2023, Wembley Stadium has not been a happy hunting ground for Havertz, who has endured a stop-start campaign due to knee and muscle injuries, respectively.
He lost three domestic finals - two FA Cup and one Carabao Cup - under the famous arch with Chelsea and was also part of the Germany side which was eliminated by England in the knockout stages of Euro 2020.
Nonetheless, finals have not all been doom and gloom as he was the man for the big occasion in the 2021 Champions League final and 2021 Club World Cup final, netting historic winning goals for the Blues against City and Palmeiras.
Havertz is relishing the chance to change his story at the home of English football, explaining: "It's always special to play at Wembley Stadium.
"We're close to winning a trophy and it doesn't matter what trophy it is, they're always so important and we want to win it. We want to give supporters the first trophy of this year and it's going to be special for the supporters.
"For me personally, I think I've always worked all my life to play these kinds of games. I would never put pressure on my shoulders, it's just about going out to enjoy.
"I know we don't have loads of games like this to play in your career, so I want to enjoy them and play and win this game. That's what I will try to do on Sunday and we'll give our best to bring the trophy home."
Havertz will never forget the pain he endured in May 2024 when City broke Arsenal hearts to claim the Premier League title on the last day of the season.
His 89th-minute winner was enough to see off Everton (2-1) but City's 3-1 triumph over West Ham saw Arsenal record a second successive second-place finish.
Now he hopes to use that unforgettable emotion and frustration to his advantage, concluding: "I had so many emotions in my body before the game, we all thought we were going to do it and mid-game, we went 1-0 down and then you hear the crowd going crazy as West Ham scored against City, then we chased the goal, scored before half-time and it was just very emotional.
"We didn't do it but for me personally, it was one game I will always have in my mind. When you're in that moment and you feel how hard it is to take that defeat when you could have won a trophy, it makes you train even more.
"This year we have top opportunities and we want to go for it. I don't think about it on a daily basis but in moments when you're trying to win something, it's an extra push that can help bring it over the line."
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