Asserting dominance or taking over | City vs. Arsenal Carabao Cup final

Asserting dominance or taking over | City vs. Arsenal Carabao Cup final

City and Arsenal will battle it out in the Carabao Cup final for 2026 after securing their places in the Wembley showdown, slated for March, by getting the better of Newcastle United and Chelsea, respectively, in the two-legged semi-finals.

The two teams, also currently locked in the race for the Premier League title, are at different stages in their respective projects, with Pep Guardiola already approaching the end of his City era, while Mikel Arteta’s process is just peaking.

The battle between the two has come a long way before Arsenal transformed into one of the Premier League heavyweights post Arsène Wenger, but City has been in the way of crowning their efforts with titles.

After qualifying for their first final since beating the Cityzens in the 2020 Emirates FA Cup, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal now face a daunting task of overcoming their biggest nemesis, a victory that would confirm them as truly ready to win titles.

Pep Guardiola would also be looking to bow out of his scintillating time at City on a high, but the rise of Arsenal has become a real threat to his dominance, a reality that would make him doubt if he had overstayed his welcome.

The Wembley final isn’t just another fixture, it is an opportunity to assert dominance for City, who have dominated English football for the past decade, while it represents an avenue for Arsenal to announce their takeover.

Manchester City Asserting dominance or Arsenal taking over

Asserting dominance or taking over

Arsenal is one of the many teams Pep Guardiola has stamped on over the course of his managerial career. From beating them with Barcelona and Bayern Munich in the Champions League to moving to England and making them one of his many favourite teams, it has been total dominance.

However, in recent seasons, Mikel Arteta has found a way to shut down his countryman, staying unbeaten in their last five meetings in the league, while also beating him at Wembley in a Community Shield clash.

Nevertheless, the Manchester City boss boasts an astounding superior record over the North Londoners, winning 20 and drawing six in the 33 times he has played them, although Mikel Arteta has been responsible for two of the wins for the Gunners.

Their last two meetings, one win and a draw for Arsenal, also suggest a transfer of command, with the aforementioned winning 5-1 in the reverse fixture last season, while City defended for the better part of their meeting this season, only to concede a late equalizer in the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal also leads the way in the league, with City trailing by six points, and even though both teams remain active in all four competitions, Arsenal are better placed, but City can thwart the advantage by getting the job done by themselves.

By both reaching the final, making a statement with a win will be decisive for the final months of the season, especially for Arsenal, who will receive a huge psychological boost, a platform to build their quest to end the negative narratives about them.

Notwithstanding the outcome of the final, both teams will still be well placed to end the season with a title, but City will have to improve on their recent performances to stay close to Arsenal in the race for the Premier League title.

As William Saliba said, Arsenal are tired of playing well and ending the season with nothing, but if you play in the Premier League, you can not afford to switch off at any time, and winning a trophy means you have to beat the best in the game.

History also favours the Gunners, who have won all their Wembley appearance under manager Mikel Arteta, with the Spaniard winning all of his 12 visits to the capital stadium both as player and coach.

However, when it comes to the Carabao Cup, they have not been too fortunate and have lost all three of their final appearances, including a 3-0 loss to City in Arsène Wenger’s final season in 2018.

Pep Guardiola has also won all four Carabao Cup finals he has managed, but recent trip to Wembley was heartbreaking as they lost out to Crystal Palace in the Emirates FA Cup final last season.

Nevertheless, two of Arsenal’s Wembley wins under Mikel Arteta have also come against City, one in the Emirates FA Cup semi-final and the other in the Community Shield final, where they scored a late equalizer to force penalty shootout, and won comfortably.

For Arsenal to take the crown off City, there is no shortcut than to beat the king itself, and for Pep Guardiola’s team to retain their crown, they have to see off the very team that threatens their rule.

The Carabao Cup is finally having the attention it warrants as more big teams focus on the competition to ease their title droughts, with Manchester United and Newcastle United benefiting in recent seasons.

Arsenal will also have their chance but against the best team in the division, but since that is a title they crave for themselves, the chance to finally take over does not come any better.

Pep Guardiola has already confirmed that City will lobby EFL over Marc Guehi’s final eligibility, as the England international was not registered in the team due to his move from Crystal Palace after the squad list had been submitted, while he has also lamented London bias as the final will hold in Wembley.

It is Arsenal’s first final match in a major tournament since beating Manchester City to reach the final of the Emirates FA Cup in 2020, and fans will hope Mikel Arteta and his minions can deliver their first major silverware in six years.

With the hype and narrative surrounding the match, hopefully both teams will be at full strength when the date comes on the 22nd of March, where neutrals will relish the tense atmosphere, as City looks to assert dominance, while Arsenal looks to finally nail their takeover.

Kehinde-Hassan Afolabi