This year’s Carabao Cup final will be Arsenal vs Manchester City Part 1.
The two teams are currently top of the Premier League as we head into the first international break of 2026.
However, must fans and pundits already insist the title race is over, as the Gunners sit nine points clear of City, with eight fixtures left to play.
It has been a rough week for Pep Guardiola and his team.
After watching Arsenal defeat Everton 2-0 thanks to two late goals, they went ahead to play a 1-1 draw at West Ham.
Days later, City were sent packing from the Champions League by their perennial rivals Real Madrid, effectively ending their ambitions to win an unlikely Quadruple.
On the other hand, Mikel Arteta’s men pulled off another 2-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen and are through to the quarter-finals of the Champions League, still competing on four fronts.
The Carabao Cup is the first trophy up for grabs this season.
There is already the argument as to which of the two teams need it more. Some feel Arsenal have their eyes on bigger silverware, while others insist they need to win it to convince themselves they can get over the line.
For City, if they lose to Arsenal, it could completely derail their season. But there is a school of thought that a victory for Guardiola’s men, will plant doubts in the minds of their rivals.
What is however certain, is that this will not be the last time Arsenal and City go head to head for a trophy this season. But maybe this could really set the stage for how the run-in pans out.
Carabao Cup final: Arsenal and Man City battle for first silverware
