Arsenal and Manchester City will compete in the 2025-26 Carabao Cup Final on Sunday evening at Wembley, with significant stakes for both teams. For Mikel Arteta’s squad, securing a trophy could alleviate some pressure as they continue their pursuit of a quadruple, while a win for Pep Guardiola’s side could inject new energy into their Premier League campaign as they aim to close a nine-point deficit.
The two clubs approach this match with differing sentiments, as City is still recovering from their UEFA Champions League exit at the hands of Real Madrid, who defeated them 5-1 on aggregate. In contrast, Arsenal comfortably advanced with a 2-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen, setting up a UCL quarterfinal against Sporting CP and fueling discussions of a potential quadruple.
This encounter features a clash between mentor and mentee, with Arsenal remaining unbeaten in their last six encounters against City. However, since Arteta last secured a trophy with Arsenal (the 2019-20 FA Cup), Guardiola has claimed four league titles, a Champions League, an FA Cup, and a League Cup with City.
Here’s all the essential information regarding the EFL Cup final.
How to watch:
The match will be broadcast on Sky Sports in the UK, CBS / Paramount+ in the U.S., FanCode in India, and beIN Sports in Australia. Live updates will also be available on ESPN.
Key Details:
Kick-off time: Sunday, March 22 at 4:30 p.m. GMT (11:30 a.m. ET; 10 p.m. IST and 2:30 a.m. AEST, Monday).
Venue: Wembley Stadium, London.
Referee: Peter Bankes
VAR: John Brooks
Injury and Team News:
Man City XI: Trafford, Nunes, Khusanov, Ake, O’Reilly, Rodri, Bernardo, Semenyo, Cherki, Doku, Haaland
Subs: Donnarumma, Reijnders, Stones, Marmoush, Kovacic, Nico, Ait-Nouri, Savinho, Foden
Arsenal XI: Kepa, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie, Zubimendi, Rice, Havertz, Saka, Trossard, Gyokeres
Subs: Raya, Mosquera, Calafiori, Lewis-Skelly, Norgaard, Madueke, Dowman, Martinelli, Jesus
Talking Points:
Not ‘just’ a cup final
play0:34Arteta: Carabao Cup final will be a defining moment of the season
Mikel Arteta discusses Arsenal’s aspirations for the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City.
While City’s players have been promoting the final as a potential remedy for their recent struggles (having won only one of their last five matches), their Arsenal counterparts have stressed that this is a standalone match that may not influence the remainder of the season.
Heading into the international break with a trophy already secured could significantly affect either team’s season. For Arteta, the fear of falling short again could dampen the positive atmosphere surrounding the club, potentially impacting the already tense environment as they strive to maintain their Premier League lead. A City win could strengthen their determination as they enter a crucial month, facing Liverpool in the FA Cup quarterfinal, followed by matches against Chelsea and Arsenal in two critical Premier League encounters.
An Arsenal triumph, on the other hand, could alleviate the pressure of trophy expectations surrounding the club. Only Bukayo Saka remains from the Arsenal squad that lifted the FA Cup in 2020, and entering a demanding stretch after having tasted victory would be beneficial. Fatigue has been a concern for Arsenal recently, and a Carabao Cup final win would provide renewed motivation for their challenging pursuit of a quadruple.
City’s attack vs Arsenal’s defence
It is evident that this final will likely hinge on City’s offensive capabilities against Arsenal’s defensive organization. Arsenal has become only the third team, alongside Barcelona and Bayern Munich, to net 100 goals this season across all competitions, and Pep Guardiola notably employed a low block in the league match at the Emirates earlier this season.
However, given the nature of a cup final, it is expected that City will aggressively seek victory, which will test Arsenal’s defense, who have achieved 25 clean sheets in 49 matches this season. Erling Haaland managed to score against Real Madrid, ending his goal drought, but he squandered several clear opportunities, raising concerns for Guardiola. Arsenal’s defense has struggled against Haaland, as he has found the net in his last three encounters with William Saliba and his teammates, yet his record at Wembley (no goals in six appearances) remains a worry.
With players like Antoine Semenyo, Jérémy Doku, and Rayan Cherki, Guardiola possesses dynamic attackers capable of creating chances or scoring from minimal opportunities, which could be decisive in a one-off final, despite Arsenal’s defensive resilience. Should the match evolve into a tactical battle, as many finals do, Arsenal’s effectiveness from set-pieces could also be a determining factor.
Goalkeeping conundrums
Pep Guardiola has confirmed that James Trafford will start in goal for City, but whether this is the optimal choice for a player potentially leaving the club is open to question. Gianluigi Donnarumma brings experience from significant finals and was in excellent form when PSG defeated Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League last season.
In contrast, Arteta has kept his selection for goalkeeper under wraps, not disclosing whether Kepa Arrizabalaga or David Raya will be in goal. Kepa has been a reliable second-choice keeper for Arsenal this season, although Arteta might miss Raya’s ability to distribute under pressure. Kepa may have a slight advantage over Raya in penalty situations, having saved 8 out of 34 penalties faced in his career (23.5%), while Raya has saved only 6 out of 45 (13.3%).
Kepa has also played a crucial role in leading Arsenal to the final, having saved Maxence Lacroix’s penalty during the shootout against Crystal Palace in the quarterfinals. Notably, the last non-shootout penalty Kepa saved was against Haaland in the 2024-25 FA Cup while at Bournemouth.
Will it come down to substitutes?
The league match earlier this season saw City adopt a defensive approach after Haaland’s first-half goal, and it required Gabriel Martinelli’s introduction as a substitute for Arsenal to secure their equalizer.
With both managers acutely aware of each other’s tactical strategies, this cup final may involve two teams neutralizing each other tactically. Consequently, it could be a trophy decided by a moment of brilliance or a mistake. Given the demanding fixture schedule both teams have faced this season, an error appears more probable.
Arsenal holds a slight edge in being able to make four substitutions at the hour mark against Leverkusen, while City played with 10 men for seventy minutes, although Guardiola also made early changes. With Martin Ødegaard still uncertain due to injury for Arsenal, Eberechi Eze may be looking to secure another Cup final victory against City, but Arteta’s secret weapon could be Martinelli’s introduction, or even Max Dowman.
What do the numbers say?
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Only Liverpool (10) have claimed the Carabao Cup more times than Manchester City (8). No other team has lost more League Cup finals than Arsenal (6).
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Pep Guardiola aims to become the first manager to win the trophy five times, having achieved four consecutive victories from 2018 to 2021. Guardiola has never gone a full season without winning a major trophy in his career (City went trophyless in the 2024-25 season).
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City has never lost three major cup finals consecutively, having suffered defeats in their last two (2023-23 FA Cup vs Manchester United and 2024-25 FA Cup vs Crystal Palace).
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After enduring 15 losses in 16 matches, Arsenal is unbeaten in their last six games against City. However, they have only secured two victories during that stretch and three in their last 22 encounters.
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Arteta could become the first Arsenal manager to win his first two finals with the club. He has never lost at Wembley as a player (three wins and one draw) or as a manager (two wins, two draws).
