Arsenal vs. Manchester City: Carabao Cup Final 2026 Preview
The 2025/26 Carabao Cup final promises a thrilling encounter between Arsenal and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, March 22. This match pits the top two teams in the Premier League against each other, with the first major silverware of the season at stake.
Match Details
- Date: Sunday, March 22, 2026
- Time: 4:30 PM UK and Ireland time
- Venue: Wembley Stadium, London
- TV Channel: Sky Sports Football
- Live Streaming: Sky Sports app, NOW TV (with a Day or Month pass) Source
Arsenal’s Road to the Final
Mikel Arteta’s side has demonstrated strong form in the competition, overcoming Port Vale, Brighton, Crystal Palace, and Chelsea to reach the final. Arsenal are two-time winners of the competition, with their last triumph coming in the 1992/93 season.
Manchester City’s Path to Wembley
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, eight-time winners of the competition (last lifting the trophy in 2020/21), have also had a successful run, defeating Huddersfield, Swansea, Brentford, and holders Newcastle to secure their place in the final.
Possible Lineups
Arsenal Predicted Lineup
- Goalkeeper: David Raya
- Defense: Riccardo Calafiori, Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba, Ben White
- Midfield: Martín Zubimendi, Declan Rice
- Attack: Gabriel Martinelli, Eberechi Eze, Bukayo Saka, Viktor Gyökeres
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Manchester City Predicted Lineup
- Goalkeeper: Gianluigi Donnarumma
- Defense: Abdukodir Khusanov, Ruben Dias, Marc Guéhi, Nico O’Reilly
- Midfield: Rodri, Bernardo Silva
- Attack: Savinho, Antoine Semenyo, Jeremy Doku, Erling Haaland
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Recent Form
The previous meeting between Arsenal and Manchester City this season ended in a 1-1 draw at the Emirates Stadium in September. Manchester City recently faced Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League, while Arsenal defeated Bayer Leverkusen to advance to the quarter-finals of the UCL, setting up a tie against Sporting CP. Source
What’s at Stake
For Arsenal, a trophy would provide a significant boost as they continue to compete on multiple fronts, including a potential quadruple. For Manchester City, a victory would offer momentum in their Premier League title chase, currently nine points behind the league leaders.