Sunday, 22nd March, may sound like a normal day. But for Arsenal and Manchester City fans, this is the chance to draw first blood in the title fight, which looks set to go down to the wire. Arsenal, as of writing, have come off the back of two disappointing draws against Brentford and bottom-of-the-league Wolves. To cut their gap to the top of the league down to 5 points with Man City having a game in hand. Although this game won’t affect the league position, it could be a turning point mentally for both teams, with this being the first trophy either team could win this season.
History of the Cup
The cup was founded in 1960 as the Football League Cup. The trophy was renamed to the EFL Cup ahead of the 2016/17 season. Carabao has been the main sponsor of the trophy since 2016. In 2010, former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger claimed that the League Cup would not end his trophy drought; however, for Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, that could not be further from the truth. Arsenal’s last trophy was the Community Shield, which was in August 2023. Many classify the Community Shield as a “pre-season trophy” and cast doubts over its validity. From this angle, Arsenal’s last major trophy was the FA Cup, which they won in 2020 with lockdown restrictions in place.
This could be a turning point in the season
Arsenal
The Gunners’ run to the final consists of victories over Port Vale, Brighton, Crystal Palace (whom they beat on penalties) and Chelsea over two legs. For the gunners, who, as of writing, are competing for a quadruple alongside City. Arsenal’s star players Gabriel and Declan Rice are both in contention for Player of the Season. This final plays a pivotal role in who will be the Premier League champions at the end of the season. Arsenal’s main weakness is not their playing ability; it is their mentality. Playing against serial winners, Man City, who are used to the occasion of a Wembley final. For Arteta’s side, this final could make or break their season, with a win potentially setting up a historic season, but a loss could lead to a downward spiral which may end with the Gunners winning nothing.
Whatever the case, Wembley waits for both of these sides, with the opportunity for the first knockout blow of the season.
Manchester City
Man City’s run to the final consisted of seeing off Huddersfield Town, Swansea, Brentford and last season’s winners, Newcastle United. For City, despite Pep’s complaints about squad depth, they will be missing Marc Guehi, who signed in January after already playing in the competition for Crystal Palace, leading an unsuccessful appeal for Manchester City. They still form a strong squad spearheaded by Erling Haaland and Antoine Semenyo. For City, the final is an opportunity to lay down a marker and show they mean business this season. The main weakness for City is a potential overreliance on Haaland, although Omar Marmoush and Semenyo have relieved some of the attacking burden on the Norwegian.
Preview
Although it will be difficult to predict the final from here, I will attempt to lay out some of my expectations of the game. I expect it to be a tight game, with very little action. Arteta, in big games, likes to emphasise control above all else, which makes for a cagy spectacle. It will sound very cliché, however, the first goal in this game will be crucial. For Arsenal, conceding first could lead to nerves. Meanwhile, for City, conceding first may force them to open up a bit more, creating a more entertaining game. Whatever the case, Wembley waits for both of these sides, with the opportunity for the first knockout blow of the season.
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