Jermaine Pennant became the most expensive teenager in Britain when Arsenal secured his services for £2 million back in 1999. His full senior debut – a hat-trick showing in a 6-1 win over Southampton – was one to remember and he went on to play 26 times for the Gunners.
A Hale Ender in the infancy of his career, Pennant is acutely aware of the goings-on at one of London’s biggest clubs – and he’s recently given an array of takes on Mikel Arteta’s men.
Pennant – speaking to ReadArsenal via Gambling.com, where you can find the best UK slots – delved deeper into Arsenal’s need to win trophies this season and who he things will come out on top this Sunday in the Carabao Cup final.
Pennant on the importance of Arsenal’s trophy hunt
Previously, Pennant had mentioned that no silverware in 2025/26 would be considered a ‘failure’ for Arteta’s Arsenal. On that point, ReadArsenal asked him what trophy will be most important for the Gunners to lift this campaign.
“I think the Premier League. I think going 22 years without one and coming second three times, it’s got to hurt. It’s a long wait. I know the feeling Liverpool had when they won their first Premier League, after close to 30 years, and how much it meant to the city,” he said.
“How much it meant to the fans and that burden off their back felt amazing after going toe to toe with Man City with how hard and devastating that is. So, for Arsenal, out of everything, I think the Premier League is their main goal and the one they’ve been waiting for.”
Pennant’s favourites for the Carabao Cup final
Coming up, on Sunday, is Arsenal’s biggest match of 2025/26 to date. Not only do they have a chance to win silverware but it could act as a stepping stone between now and the summer when they hope their trophy cabinet will be more bloated.
“Look, it’s going be close because neither side have got the home advantage,” Pennant said when previewing the tie at Wembley Stadium. “I would say, out of the two, Arsenal are better at home and, I’d say out of the two, Man City are more comfortable away from home.
Read More: Arsenal vs Man City: Two key City stars set to miss Carabao Cup final
“But, on the flip side, you’ve got Arsenal who are in great form at the moment. It’s going to be tight – but I just see Arsenal edging this one by the single goal.”
How important is it for Arsenal to do well in the Champions League?
“Yeah, well they’ve got the easiest path to the final and I expect them to get to the final, although they’ve probably got to get past Barcelona, who absolutely dismantled Newcastle,” said Pennant.
“Over a two-legged tie, that’s going to be tricky because – at Camp Nou – they’re unbeaten there and they [Barca] score goals. Their motto is ‘Okay, you score two, we’re going to score three. You score three, we’re going to score four.’ And it works for them so that’s going to be a tough tie for Arsenal.”
Arsenal have never become the champions of Europe in a footballing sense. Losing to Barcelona in 2006 was the closest they’ve come – but can Arteta’s men achieve what Wenger and Co failed to do? Pennant doesn’t think so.
“You’ve then got the monsters on the other side,” he said. “You’ve got PSG, the current champions, and you’ve got Real Madrid, the 16-times European champions who, for some reason when it comes to this competition, just know how to get it done.
“But, yeah, there’s no loss in losing the Champions League because of the teams that are there, but I do expect them to get to the final. Getting to the final will be one step closer to what they have been doing.”
Pennant has his say on the Kai Havertz or Viktor Gyokeres debate
Much has also been made of Arsenal’s options in the centre-forward berth – and most notably whether Kai Havertz or Viktor Gyokeres should start moving forward in such a crucial period for the Gunners.
“It’s a tough one,” Pennant claimed when asked about who should start between the aforementioned frontmen.
In reference to a potential Champions League final, he claimed: “I think it will all depend on who’s in the final because it’s a one-game knockout. It’s not a ‘Let’s get a good result there and go back to our place’ and so you’ve really got to pick the squad on who they’re facing.
| Statistic | Viktor Gyokeres | Kai Havertz |
| Minutes | 1903 | 265 |
| Goals/Assists | 11/0 | 0/1 |
| Shots per match | 1.5 | 0.8 |
| Key passes per match | 0.6 | 0.7 |
| Dribbles per match | 0.2 | 0.5 |
| Pass success rate (%) | 59.7 | 63.6 |
| Overall rating | 6.67 | 6.58 |
“If you’ve got a team that plays a high line, you’ve got to put in a player who can get behind, who can run and someone who’s got legs. If you play a team who are defensively strong, you’ve got to look at whether Gyokeres is going to be that guy.
“Maybe they’ll need some more creativity around there like a Havertz, who can make a little bit of a difference. I think it’ll all come down to who they face in the final in terms of who they are going to play up top,” Jermaine Pennant concluded.
