After a disappointing exit to Real Madrid in the Champions League last 16, Manchester City’s focus shifts to Sunday’s EFL Cup final at Wembley, where they face Premier League leaders Arsenal.
A Chance for City to Secure Silverware
For the second straight season, Man City are unlikely to become Premier League champions and have failed in their attempt to become two-time UCL champions.
Arsenal, having had a strong season and leading the table, are close to their first title in over twenty years, but now appear out of sight after City dropped points to West Ham at the weekend.
Following their failure to overturn a deficit against Real Madrid, City’s remaining chances for silverware are in the League Cup and the FA Cup. The latter is only at the quarter-final stage, so this could be their best chance.
Despite playing the best team in the country, City can never be counted out, and their experience in big games definitely works in their favor.
Arsenal Aiming for Their First Major Trophy (Excluding Community Shields) Since 2020
Considering how impressive Arsenal have been over the past few seasons, it's somewhat surprising when you look at the last time they won a competition other than the Community Shield.
That success came in 2020 when they won the FA Cup. Mikel Arteta guided them to that trophy but hasn’t taken them to a cup final since.
They come into this one after sweeping aside Bayer Leverkusen to book a spot in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
Whether they clinch a third EFL Cup this weekend or not, the Gunners are likely to secure silverware soon, given their strong position in the Premier League and place in the last eight in both Europe and the FA Cup. This final offers their first chance, and it will be the first time an Arteta-managed Arsenal team has competed in a final in front of fans, as the 2020 FA Cup occurred during the pandemic.
2026 League Cup Final Prediction
Arsenal enter as the 27/20 favourites (at time of writing), which isn’t a surprise given their current form. However, Man City (9/4) have much more experience in big finals, and their opponents have shown a tendency to struggle to get over the line when it matters.
If Arsenal perform at their best, they should come out on top, but whether the occasion will get to them remains to be seen, especially given their inexperience and focus on other competitions; these factors could work in Pep Guardiola’s favour.
However, City have been poor in recent finals, losing back-to-back FA Cup deciders to Manchester United and Crystal Palace, respectively.
Cup finals are often cagey matches, and the draw is priced at 11/5 for those who think it will take extra time or penalties to split these two.
There are some long odds available for various post-90-minute outcomes. Arsenal are 10/1 to succeed in 120 minutes, as they are on penalties. City are 11/1 to win in extra time and 10/1 to prevail on penalties.
City have the capability to drag Arsenal into deep waters, especially if the match goes into extra time and turns into a test of nerve, positioning a City victory after extra time as a viable and lucrative outcome.
