Manchester City and Arsenal are approaching a series of confrontations that could decide the owners of major titles this season. Pep Guardiola will face his former student Mikel Arteta at Wembley thanks to a 3-1 victory over Newcastle United in the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-finals.
The final is scheduled to take place on March 22, less than a month before the confrontation at Etihad on April 18 - a match that could decide the Premier League title race between the two teams. In the context that both are still fighting in the FA Cup and Champions League, the prospect of them continuing to face each other on other big stages is entirely possible.
The rivalry has been simmering since Arteta brought Arsenal back into the championship race 3 years ago, and now all conditions are converging to push it to a new level at the end of the season.
That is entirely possible. Of course we will play in the Carabao Cup. I don't know about the Champions League, and the Premier League has a schedule that has been set. When strong teams enter the final stage, you will have the opportunity to face each other. I really like that, especially when playing in the final" - Guardiola said.
Guardiola is no stranger to these series of encounters. In 2011, his Barcelona once faced Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid in three different arenas at the end of the season. In just 18 days of April and May, the two teams met four times in La Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League.
Guardiola lost the Copa del Rey final after Cristiano Ronaldo's decisive goal in extra time, but won big in La Liga and Champions League. The 1-1 draw at the Bernabeu helped Barca maintain the gap in the championship race, before ending the season with a 4-point advantage.
In the Champions League, Barca defeated Real in both semi-finals and then defeated Manchester United in the final. Those matches filled with hatred deeply engraved Guardiola - Mourinho as one of the classic confrontations of coaches.
In England, Guardiola experienced a similar feeling in 2022, when there was a prospect of a super final between Man City and Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool. The two teams played two matches in 6 days in the Premier League and FA Cup.
The match at the Etihad ended 2-2, City won the championship with a one-point gap. Liverpool took revenge in the FA Cup semi-finals with a 3-2 victory, but the Champions League final expected between Guardiola and Klopp did not happen when The Citizens succumbed to Real Madrid in the semi-finals in a regretful way.
Of course, to create a similar climax series with Arsenal, everything must still go smoothly. In particular, Man City needs to continue to closely follow the Premier League leading group.
One thing is almost certain that if Arsenal wants to end the 6-year title drought, Arteta will have to overcome his old teacher.
Experiencing a final with the team that is probably the strongest in Europe and the world for many reasons is good. I think it will be a great experience for everyone. Hopefully we will come in March with full force and ready to play a good match against them. This is not obvious. I know how difficult it is to enter Wembley. In 10 years, 5 times reaching the Carabao Cup final is really great. Great" - Guardiola added.
Against Newcastle, Man City played comfortably to the point that even the habit of declining in the second half recently could not stop them from advancing. City led 3-0 at the end of the first half - 5-0 overall - and during the break, many fans rushed to book hotel rooms and train tickets right on their phones.
Omar Marmoush's goal in the seventh minute helped City get closer to an easy victory against Newcastle. Guardiola even celebrated Marmoush's second goal - the finishing blow that extinguished the opponent's fragile hope - with the enthusiasm of a coach who is craving his first title.
There is also no shortage of speculation that this may be his last season at Etihad, and that explosive emotion may come from the belief that he will "live" at least one more final night. Or simply, Guardiola is just enjoying the moment when standing on the sidelines and listening to the stands cheer.
This will be Guardiola's 11th cup final as Man City head coach. For Arteta, it will be his second final.
When the title is put on the scale, one person may be looking for a perfect ending, while the other wants to open a era of domination in their own way. The potential for a chapter in history is completely real.
The two best teams in England, led by two of the best coaches in the world, are preparing to face off in a promising explosive match.
