The Carabao Cup final is approaching, bringing the first opportunity for teams to win titles in the 2025-2026 season. Although this tournament is often seen as a spin-off compared to the bigger goals of the season, this time it is of special significance. This is not just a cup, but also a spiritual turning point for both Arsenal and Man City.
Pep Guardiola's Man City - the team that has won the league four times - will face Mikel Arteta's Arsenal, a team that is eager to assert its position with the first title in the new cycle. The question is, will this be the moment Arsenal opens the winning era, or will Man City continue to maintain their dominant position in English football?
Man City's bravery
For nearly a decade, the image of Man City lifting the trophy has become familiar. Since Guardiola took charge in 2016, they have won 6 Premier Leagues, 2 FA Cups, 4 Carabao Cups, 1 Champions League, 1 European Super Cup and 1 FIFA Club World Cup.
Conversely, Arsenal under Arteta only had one FA Cup (2019-2020), and are trying to change that image. This season, they still have the opportunity to compete for many titles and the Carabao Cup is the nearest target.
Notably, Arsenal has not won the Carabao Cup since 1993 - i.e. 33 years of waiting. They have reached the final three times since then but all failed, most recently against Man City in 2018.
Meanwhile, The Citizens are the dominant team in this tournament, winning 6 championships in the period from 2013-2014 to 2020-2021. History and DNA of victory sometimes play an important role in the finals - something that has been proven by Real Madrid in the Champions League. And Man City, after many title conquests, clearly has an advantage in terms of bravery.
Although Arsenal is showing better form in the Premier League this season, the finals are always specific and unpredictable. Even Man City once caused a shock when losing to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final last season.
However, Guardiola's experience in big matches is still an important foundation. Compared to Arteta, he has led the team to win in the final more times - a factor that could make a difference in the upcoming match.
Arsenal's squad depth
With financial potential and huge spending in nearly two decades, it is quite surprising that Man City's squad depth is questioned. However, that is the reality at the present time.
Conversely, Arsenal has built a squad capable of resisting any fluctuations in injury or form. Despite any problems, Arteta seems to always have suitable replacements. This is also one of the reasons why they still have the opportunity to compete in all four arenas this season.
Quality depth allows The Gunners to distribute goals evenly. While Man City relies heavily on Erling Haaland, Arsenal can score from many different positions on the field.
Specifically, Haaland contributed 29.1% of Man City's total goals in all competitions, while at Arsenal, the top scorer Viktor Gyokeres also accounted for only 15.1%.
Not only that, Arsenal has 12 players who scored at least 4 goals this season, almost double the number of 7 players of Man City. The difference is also clearly shown in the contribution from the bench. Arsenal's substitutes have scored 11 goals and had 10 assists in the Premier League this season - the most in the league.
Meanwhile, Man City is at the bottom of this index, with only two substitutes contributing to goals. This may be a decisive factor in big matches, especially a final where differences often come from small moments.
