Carabao Cup final: Arsenal vs Manchester City

Two Premier League heavyweights Manchester City and Arsenal will lock horns at Wembley in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday February 25 in what will be the first piece of silverware up for grabs this season. 

Pep Guardiola who is in his second season as Manchester City's manager will look to lift his first trophy in England while his counterpart, Arsene Wenger will look to lift the only trophy he is yet to win in England. 

City are considered to be the favourites for the tie, having beaten Arsene Wenger’s outfit 3-1 earlier this season, with few fancying the Gunners to end their 25-year wait for a League Cup crown.

Both managers and their teams go into the game on the back of very different campaigns. Arsenal, sitting sixth, look set for their worst finish in the Premier League under Arsene Wenger while Manchester City will be disappointed if they do not set a new points record, let alone lift the title.

What is the history of both clubs in the League Cup?
Arsenal have won the FA Cup a record 13 times, but have only won English football's other domestic cup twice. The last time was in 1993, when Steve Morrow scored the winner against Sheffield Wednesday. Arsenal captain Tony Adams then dropped Morrow during the post-match celebrations who spent the next day in hospital with a broken arm. Arsenal have lost two finals under Wenger - to Chelsea in 2007 and Birmingham City in 2011. 

Manchester City have won the cup on four times, including in 2014 and 2016. The 2014 victory over Sunderland was famous for two sumptuous strikes from Samir Nasri and Yaya Toure, while Wily Caballero was the hero in 2016 in a penalty shootout triumph over Liverpool. 

Match stats

-This is Arsenal's eighth League Cup final - they've lost more than any other side in the history of the competition (5), winning the tournament twice in 1987 and 1993.

-Manchester City will be making their sixth appearance in the League Cup final, and third in the last five seasons. They've won four of their previous five, failing only in 1974.

-This is the first-ever meeting between these sides in a major final. Arsenal have won both previous meetings with Man City at Wembley - 3-0 in the 2014 Community Shield, and 2-1 in last season's FA Cup semi-final.

-Man City have lost just one of their last five meetings with Arsenal in all competitions (W2 D2), beating them 3-1 in their previous meeting in the Premier League this season. In the League Cup, Man City have won their last two ties against Arsenal (2009-10 and 2011-12), having lost their previous five between 1977-78 and 2004-05.

-Arsenal have scored just six goals in the League Cup this season, the lowest tally of any team to reach the final in the competition's history.

-Wenger is aiming to become the eighth different manager to win all three of the English top-flight, FA Cup and League Cup after Bill Nicholson, Joe Mercer, Don Revie, George Graham, Alex Ferguson, Kenny Dalglish and Jose Mourinho.

-Guardiola has triumphed in six of his previous seven major domestic and European finals, losing only to Real Madrid with Barcelona in the 2011 Copa Del Rey final. Meanwhile, Wenger has won seven of his 10 domestic cup finals with Arsenal, with his last two defeats coming in this competition (2007 vs Chelsea and 2011 vs Birmingham).

-Of the 13 players who played for Arsenal in the 2011 League Cup final defeat to Birmingham, only Laurent Koscielny and Jack Wilshere are still at the club.

-Both Leroy Sane (3 goals, 1 assist) and Bernardo Silva (1 goals, 3 assists) have been involved in 50% of Man City's eight goals in the competition this season.

-Sergio Aguero has scored in each of his last four appearances against Arsenal in all competitions (4 goals in total). Only twice before has he netted in five consecutive games for Manchester City against a single opponent (Tottenham with a run ending in May 2015 and Sunderland in a run ending in March 2017).

Prediction

Arsenal win