The top two in the Premier League table meet in the League Cup final at Wembley on Sunday as Arsenal take on Manchester City.
Arsenal maintained their hopes of a quadruple this season on Tuesday night as they advanced to the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a 3-1 aggregate success over Bayer Leverkusen.
Mikel Arteta’s men face Championship side Southampton in the quarter finals of the FA Cup at the start of next month, and are in a commanding position to clinch their first Premier League title since 2003/04.
The Gunners claimed a late 2-0 win over away-day specialists Everton in the Premier League last Saturday, on an evening in which both of my selections landed.
That result, coupled with Manchester City’s draw away at relegation-threatened West Ham United a few hours later, extended the North London side’s lead at the top of the Premier League table.
Pep Guardiola’s charges do have a game in hand and have still to welcome the Gunners to the Etihad to give them some hope of catching their title rivals.
Unlike their North London opponents, Manchester City exited the Champions League in midweek, as they were beaten 5-1 on aggregate – and 1-2 on the night at the Etihad – by record champions Real Madrid.
How the bookies view it: Gunners glory
Understandably, Arsenal have been installed as favourites to lift the trophy on Sunday, with bet365 pricing a Gunners success at 8/11, whilst the win inside 90 minutes is 27/20.
Bet365 have Manchester City at 11/10 to lift a fifth League Cup crown under Pep Guardiola, with the win inside regulation time at 9/4.
Head to head: Psychological advantage favours Arsenal
Arsenal are unbeaten in each of their previous six meetings with Manchester City after previously losing 15 of the last 16 head-to-heads, including winning on penalties in the Community Shield in August 2023 when the sides last met at Wembley.
Pep Guardiola did win the first of his four League Cup crowns as Cityzens gaffer with a 3-0 victory over the Gunners in the 2017/18 final.
Players to watch: Bernardo to be booked again?
Manchester City’s hopes of turning their Champions League last-16 tie against Real Madrid around were extinguished early on on Wednesday night, as Bernardo Silva was sent off after deliberately handballing on the line.
Whilst that was his first red card this season, the Portuguese international has been booked 13 times for Manchester City this season – including when the sides last met at the Emirates back in September – and is an appealing 14/5 at William Hill to be in the referee’s notebook for the fifth time in his last eight appearances.
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Predicted line-ups:
Mikel Arteta will be without the injured Mikel Merino, whilst Jurrien Timber and Martin Odegaard are doubts.
Manchester City will still be without the injured Josko Gvardiol, whilst Marc Guehi is ineligible.
Arsenal: Kepa, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie, Zubimendi, Rice, Eze, Saka, Trossard, Gyokeres
Manchester City: Trafford, Nunes, Khusanov, Dias, Ait-Nouri, Rodri, Cherki, Reijnders, Silva, Doku, Haaland
Anything else catch the eye?
Arsenal are strong favourites to beat Manchester City in the Premier League title race after extending their lead at the top of the table to nine points last week, and will look to clinch the first part of a historic quadruple on Sunday.
Given the contrasting mood and form both of these sides travel to Wembley in, you’ve got to fancy the Gunners to claim their first major trophy since 2020, and are 3/4 at Paddy Power to Lift the Trophy.
What’s more, Arteta’s men appear to have the psychological edge over their counterparts, as they are unbeaten in each of their last six meetings with Pep Guardiola’s side, and I’m expecting that to extend to seven in north-west London on Sunday.
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