Put transfer talk on hold, Arsenal and Chelsea have a bigger target this month

We interrupt this transfer window to bring you a football match. It is an important game, too: a derby with a trip to Wembley as its reward.

If we can get your attention for a maximum of 120 minutes you can then go back to thinking about buying, selling and Alexis Sanchez’s salary.

The EFL Cup is not the game’s most glamorous competition but Wednesday’s finely-balanced second leg of the semi-final between Arsenal and Chelsea whets the appetite. The tie should be a powerful antidote to the madness of January.

Until Saturday, 2018 had not been good to either team. Arsene Wenger’s side have drawn twice – both against Chelsea – and lost their other two matches. Antonio Conte’s men started the year with five successive draws (they won the FA Cup third-round replay against Norwich City on penalties) and struggled to score. Both teams found their shooting boots at the weekend, banging in four apiece. The glut of goals will not alter their desperate search for new strikers.

The scramble to sign goalscorers highlights the weakened position of these managers. Last season, Conte won the Premier League title and Wenger brought the FA Cup to the Emirates. It would be no surprise if neither man starts next season in the same job.

Some of the forwards linked with Chelsea have been on the surreal side of surprising. The names bandied around – Andy Carroll, Peter Crouch and Ashley Barnes – are the sort of targets you would find on the wish-list of an ambitious Championship side.

This indicates that Chelsea are reluctant to splurge on the type of players that Conte wants. Planning is already under way for a future without the Italian. These are stopgap measures rather than a long-term strategy. Even if Edin Dzeko pitches up in SW6 over the next 10 days it will not be a progressive signing. The Roma forward is 32 in March. The real investment will come in the summer when there is a strong possibility that Conte will be in charge of Paris Saint-Germain.

Not so long ago, Wenger would have been first choice for the French club. That time has passed. The 68-year-old’s long spell at the Emirates is ebbing away, too.

Arsenal require more than a striker. They need an injection of feel-good factor after the departure of Sanchez. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will provide the morale boost but the Gabonese is an awkward character and has had discipline problems at Borussia Dortmund. Sanchez departed the Emirates leaving behind few friends. His place will be taken by another man with a big – and sometimes difficult - personality. Aubameyang will be 29 in the summer. Again, there is an element of short-termism at work.

​Conte has never had full control of the signings at Chelsea and this has been a constant source of frustration to the 48-year-old. Wenger had an iron grip on recruitment for much of his Arsenal career but the club have begun to prepare for life after the Frenchman. Sven Mislintat, the recently-appointed head scout, is setting the transfer agenda. It is an uncomfortable time for the Arsenal manager. He has suddenly seen a new organizational framework being constructed around him. Change is in the air and power is shifting. Welcome to my world, Conte might tell him.

Wenger’s biggest challenge is subverting the growing perception that he is unable to arrest his team’s decline. Winning the EFL Cup alone would not do that but Jose Mourinho – of all people – provided his great rival with a template for saving a seemingly lost campaign. Last season Manchester United were left behind in the battle for the top four but earned a Champions League place by winning the Europa League. On the way, they picked up the EFL Cup.

Success at Wembley was a key component in Mourinho creating the belief that United could advance in Europe.

By the end of tonight, Arsenal could be eight points adrift of fourth place. The most obvious route back into the Champions League appears to be the Europa League. If they can beat Chelsea on Wednesday and then upend Manchester City – the likeliest other finalists at Wembley – it would strengthen confidence that Arsenal could replicate United’s success a year ago.

The EFL Cup barely warranted a mention on Conte’s list of targets back in August. Yet with Barcelona lying in wait in the Champions League knockout round, the domestic cups could be the best route for the Italian to enhance his reputation. There is much at stake for both men.