For a season in which Arsenal are still alive on four fronts, it has been surprisingly lacking in jaw-dropping moments. Max Dowman's breakaway goal now sits proudly alongside Reiss Nelson's strike at the death against Bournemouth in 2023.
It's hard not to draw some kind of equivalence between the delirium of an academy prospect tearing the length of the field after beating two men, and the flair we displayed against Leverkusen. Magic moments are rocket fuel.
We've been criticised this season for being ruthlessly methodical, field-tilt monsters. Our play style has taken us to this point. This is now (to some extent) irrelevant. It's time for the protagonists to step forward.
The Leverkusen game marked the first time this campaign Bukayo Saka has started three games in a week. He will surely start again on Sunday. It was notable too, that Mikel Arteta turned to Dowman with 20 minutes left against Everton: quality talks.
No Arsenal fan will be unhappy if we don't lift the League Cup, then go on to win the Premier League, the Champions League, throw in the FA Cup too! But we need to lean into the magic. Lift that trophy on Sunday and the Arsenal world will be flooded with good feeling – to be liberally injected as inspiration for the final dash.
Arsenal have long been accused of lacking individual attacking brilliance, something Sunday's opponents are lauded for.
Eberechi Eze already possesses a magical repertoire, the scorer of the goal that won Crystal Palace their first major trophy (against City). He’s also famous for bringing his best in the clutch. This epochal stage of the season feels deserving of goals like his strike midweek. Here’s hoping he’s been saving his best till last.
Find more from Scarlet Katz Roberts at the Goal Difference podcast
