Arsenal vs Manchester City –Match preview and team news | OneFootball

Wembley Stadium sets the stage this Sunday for a historic Carabao Cup Final as Premier League leaders Arsenal and second-placed Manchester City battle for the first major silverware of the season.

This showpiece represents a monumental “student vs. master” clash between Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola. Remarkably, it is the first League Cup final in history to be contested by the top two teams in the country. For Arsenal, victory would end a 33-year drought in this competition, with the club last lifting the trophy in 1993.

Notably, the Gunners have lost more finals in this tournament (6) than any other side, including a 3–0 defeat to City in 2018. However, Arteta arrives with a pristine Wembley record; he has never lost at the national stadium with Arsenal as a player or manager.

Manchester City, meanwhile, enter the capital aiming to salvage a season that has hit a sudden and turbulent patch. After being dumped out of the Champions League by Real Madrid in midweek, Pep Guardiola is desperate to avoid going back-to-back campaigns without a major honour for the first time in his career.

While City have won seven consecutive League Cup finals since 1974, they have lost their last two major final appearances at Wembley, both in the FA Cup. Significantly, Guardiola is bidding to become the first manager to win the League Cup five times, but he faces an Arsenal side that is currently unbeaten in their last six meetings with the Sky Blues.

Arsenal vs Manchester City –Match preview and team news

Team News

Arsenal

Mikel Arteta is managing a few high-profile doubts, most notably captain Martin Ødegaard (knee) and Jurriën Timber (ankle). Kepa Arrizabalaga is expected to keep his place in goal, having started every round of the competition so far.

Notably, Eberechi Eze enters the final with a unique opportunity; having scored the winning goal against City in the 2025 FA Cup Final for Crystal Palace, he could become just the third player in history to score against the same opponent in both a League Cup and FA Cup final.

Manchester City

Pep Guardiola has confirmed that James Trafford will start between the sticks at Wembley. The Citizens will be without the cup-tied Marc Guéhi, while Joško Gvardiol remains a long-term absentee with a fractured leg.

Notably, Erling Haaland—who snapped a scoreless streak in midweek—is still searching for his first-ever goal at Wembley on what will be his seventh attempt at the stadium.

Form

Arsenal

Arsenal are in near-optimal form, winning six of their last seven matches across all competitions, including a convincing 2-0 midweek win over Bayer Leverkusen to reach the Champions League quarter-finals.

The Gunners have shown remarkable tactical flexibility, weathering injuries to Ødegaard and Timber without losing their domestic momentum. Notably, they have seen eight different goal scorers in the League Cup this season, with no single player netting more than once.

Manchester City

Manchester City head to Wembley in a jittery state, having won just one of their last five games in all tournaments following their Champions League exit. Despite their recent struggles, City have been perfect in the Carabao Cup this season.

They have won all five games by margins of 2 or more goals. Significantly, City have dominated their recent League Cup meetings with Arsenal, winning the last four by an aggregate score of 11–1.

Predicted Lineups

Arsenal Predicted XI (4-3-3): Kepa; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Eze, Trossard; Gyokeres

Manchester City Predicted XI (4-3-3): Trafford; Nunes, Dias, Stones, Ait-Nouri; Silva, Rodri, O’Reilly; Cherki, Haaland, Semenyo

How to Watch Arsenal vs Manchester City?

The match will be broadcast live in the UK on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Football, and ITV1. Coverage begins at 15:30 GMT.

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