The Premier League’s top two face off in the Carabao Cup final Sunday, and though Arsenal are enduring a near six-year trophy drought, this final may take on even greater significance for Manchester City.
Arsenal may not have lifted silverware since 2020, but they’re still chasing an unprecedented quadruple after seeing off Bayer Leverkusen in midweek UEFA Champions League action, while they boast a nine-point lead over their opponents here at the Premier League summit.
They head into their first Carabao Cup final in eight years unbeaten in 14 competitive matches (W11, D3), and therefore look to be armed with all the momentum they need to lift this trophy for the first time since 1992/93. The Gunners have lost three finals since, most recently falling to City in 2018.
While they may still be in both domestic cup competitions, Manchester City’s season is threatening to fizzle out after they were dumped out of the UEFA Champions League by Real Madrid on Tuesday. Pep Guardiola’s men arrive at Wembley having won just once in five matches across all competitions (D2, L2), but may feel this is the perfect competition to end that slump.
City have lifted this trophy eight times – only Liverpool (ten) have done so more – with four of those coming in successive seasons under Guardiola’s leadership, while they’ve also won seven successive finals in this competition, last losing one in 1973/74!
Arsenal are now unbeaten in the last six H2Hs across all competitions (W3, D3), but City have won four successive meetings in this competition, three of which came by a three-goal margin, including the 2017/18 final.
