Arsenal vs Manchester City – News and Probable Lineups

The EFL Cup trophy will be adorned with red and white or sky blue ribbons this Sunday evening, as either Arsenal or Manchester City will ascend the Wembley Stadium steps to collect their winner’s medals following an exciting final.

The last occasion the Gunners triumphed in this tournament was so long ago that not a single one of their current squad members had been born; meanwhile, Pep Guardiola’s side aims to secure their first major silverware since the 2022-23 Champions League. This final will notably be the first EFL Cup final featuring the top two teams from the Premier League.

Match overview

With ambitions of lifting four trophies this season, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal still stands at 0% on this front; however, that number could change to 25% if the North London giants can overcome a 30-year EFL Cup curse.

It has been since April 18, 1993 that the Gunners last lifted the League Cup trophy, six years after their initial triumph; by contrast, they have endured six final losses, more than any other team, with the most recent being against their upcoming opponents in 2018.

The journey to Wembley was not straightforward for Arsenal, but teams like Port Vale, Brighton & Hove Albion, Crystal Palace, and Chelsea were ultimately unable to stand in the way of the Premier League leaders, whose substitutes and staff could not hold back from storming the pitch when Kai Havertz scored the decisive goal in the semi-final’s second leg against Chelsea.

Nearly six years have passed since the 2019-20 FA Cup final, which marks Arteta’s only final at Arsenal thus far (excluding the often-discussed Community Shields); the former Manchester City assistant now has the chance to make club history by becoming the first Gunners head coach to win his first two major cup finals.

Favorable history supports the Spaniard, as he has remained unbeaten in eight previous appearances at Wembley as both a player and manager; additionally, current form also leans towards the side in red and white.

The Gunners have not lost in 14 matches following their straightforward 2-0 win against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League last-16 second leg, signaling a solid form of six wins in their last seven matches across competitions.

Before the Champions League last-16 second legs, Manchester City also held dreams of a quadruple—though these ambitions seem much less realistic now. The latest installment of the rivalry with Real Madrid did not favor the Sky Blues.

After being criticized for his tactical choices in the first leg—leading to an intense media response—Guardiola saw a better performance at the Etihad, though it was not enough to avoid a disappointing 2-1 defeat and an early exit from European competition.

Despite the struggles, the Citizens still have time to salvage their domestic campaign—with Liverpool awaiting in the FA Cup quarter-finals next month—but with just one victory in their last five matches across all competitions, this season could turn out to be forgettable for Guardiola.

It’s becoming increasingly clear that the Premier League title is Arsenal’s to lose, with the Gunners currently leading the table by nine points—albeit having played one game more. However, in the context of League Cup legacy, there is one clear victor.

Manchester City has won eight out of nine EFL Cup finals, including a streak of seven consecutive wins since their 1974 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Guardiola could become the first manager to win the tournament an extraordinary five times.

Nevertheless, thanks to Gabriel Martinelli’s last-minute equalizer at the Emirates in September, Manchester City has been unable to defeat Arsenal in their last six encounters, and securing a seventh consecutive match without a loss against the Citizens would be a monumental achievement.

Team News

In true Arteta style, the Arsenal head coach provided his typical response regarding team news for the EFL Cup final, opting for a “wait and see” stance concerning both Jurrien Timber (ankle) and captain Martin Odegaard (knee).

Mikel Merino, affected by a foot injury, will definitely miss out on this weekend’s fixture, but Eberechi Eze appears to be fine, despite experiencing a scare in the second leg against Leverkusen that he quickly downplayed.

The Gunners coach also declined to specify whether Kepa Arrizabalaga or David Raya would start in goal, but the former has performed admirably as Arsenal’s number two and seems likely to be the choice at Wembley, seven years after the notorious Maurizio Sarri incident.

Conversely, Guardiola was clear about who will start for Manchester City in his pre-game press conference; James Trafford will take the place of Gianluigi Donnarumma for the final.

Only Josko Gvardiol (calf) is sidelined due to injury for the eight-time champions, but Guardiola will controversially be without January signing Marc Guehi, who is ineligible for the encounter against Arsenal.

The ex-Crystal Palace player was primarily a substitute in the second leg loss to Real Madrid, but Guardiola might still look to make a defensive shift, with John Stones likely coming in for Abdukodir Khusanov.

Bernardo Silva’s midweek sending-off—his first in Champions League history—will have no repercussions for Wembley, where Erling Haaland will seek to score under the iconic arch for the first time on his seventh attempt.

Arsenal probable starting XI:

Kepa; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Eze, Trossard; Gyokere

Manchester City probable starting XI:

Trafford; Nunes, Dias, Stones, Ait-Nouri; Silva, Rodri, O’Reilly; Cherki, Haaland, Semenyo