Victory for Pep Guardiola’s men in Sunday’s Wembley showpiece would confirm both the Brazilian and Sergio Aguero as the most decorated players in League Cup history with six titles apiece.
Should our captain feature against Tottenham, he would also become only the third player to make six final appearances, alongside Ian Rush and Emile Heskey.
Ahead of this weekend’s showdown, the midfielder credited his teammates for their role in his individual League Cup achievements to date, and insisted the success of the team has always been at the forefront of his ambitions.
“Personal achievements are always good, of course, but personal achievements have never been my main targets,” the Brazilian declared.
“For me, the collective effort is always what’s important.
“When you win a trophy you win with a team, so you can’t say that they are individual achievements, because you need everyone around you to win a trophy.
“Of course it’s always nice to win trophies and get those personal achievements, but it is never the main target.
“Whether or not I play in this year’s Final, I will prepare myself to be ready to help the team win in any way that I am needed because winning this Final is so important to the team.
“For me personally, I’m looking to win my sixth League Cup, but winning as a team will also give us great confidence going into the final few games of the season and hopefully win the Premier League, so it’s important for everyone.”
Irrespective of his phenomenal record in the competition, the Carabao Cup holds a special place in Fernandinho’s heart as the first trophy he lifted as a City player.
Our 3-1 victory over Sunderland in 2014 secured Manuel Pellegrini’s men our first League Cup in 38 years, courtesy of second half strikes from Yaya Toure, Samir Nasri and Jesus Navas.
The Brazilian looks back fondly on that victory over the Wearsiders, and admits it only increased his appetite for silverware.
He recalls: “It was really special for me, I particularly remember seeing all the fans there supporting us and winning in front of them was a really special moment.
“Again, the way in which we won was even more special.
“To celebrate with the fans at Wembley Stadium and secure my first trophy here in England was a great way to start my Manchester City career.
“The desire to win trophies before was big, but from that moment in 2014 it just became even bigger.”
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That triumph seven years ago subsequently set the tone for a period of City dominance, in which we have reached the Wembley final in six of the past eight seasons.
And while Fernandinho insists that competing for trophies is an expectation for a club of City’s stature, our skipper admits the excitement that only cup football can bring will never fade.
“It’s always special to play at Wembley and it’s always special to play a cup final, so I am definitely looking forward to going there, to playing well and hopefully winning the game,” he conceded.
“We’re so pleased that we’re going to get some fans there, it will be special for them, the club and it will be a special moment for me personally as well, so we have prepared in the best way possible to come here and do our job in the best way possible.
“Reaching cup finals and winning trophies is something that’s expected of us here at Manchester City.
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“As players we understand the responsibility that we have when playing for this team, but for me the most important thing is, when you win titles and trophies you get that hunger to win even more.
“That’s really important for anyone coming into this squad, because that’s what we have here and anyone coming into the squad can see that.
“As a footballer, you always want to play in cup finals, especially at Wembley, it’s always special.”
