On Sunday, March 22, 2026 Wembley is set to host its first final of the year as Manchester City set to take on Mikel Arteta’s side Arsenal in the carabao final, both clubs aim to claim their first silverware of the season after a disappointing campaign for both clubs last season after going trophyless last season, Arsenal finished 2nd in the primer league and lost to PSG in the champions league semi final while Macher city suffered a shocking loss to Crystal Palace in the FA cup final.
The Gunners faced their London rivals Chelsea in which the first leg was played in Stamford Bridge where they were able to win 3-2 taking the advantage to the Emirates Stadium where a draw would take them through, all the pressure was on Liam Roseniors side as they had to find a way to break the stubborn Arsenal defense making them to go all attack searching for an equalizer which left their defense open and this is When former Chelsea Man Kai Havertz confirmed Arsenal’s place in the final with a 97th minute winner which sparked wild scenes and sealed a 4-2 win.
8-time Carabao Cup champions Man City faced the current holders Newcastle, who made it more comfortable for the Citizens as they walked away with a 2-0 lead heading into the second leg at The Etihad Stadium, where they closed the tie in the opening 30 minutes. Omar Marmoush netted a brace before Tijjani Reijnders added a third before the halftime whistle. Newcastle Letter grabbed a consolation goal through Anthony Elanga, resulting in a 5-1 win to Man City.
This competition was a new lifeline for the new signing Antoine Semenyo before his 65 million pound move to Manchester City he have already faced elimination in the second round but he became a crucial part of Pep Guardiola’s side by helping qualify for the final, but for the other city signing Marc Guehi will not be able to feature in the final as he is Cup tied after playing 3 times for his previous club Crystal Palace, making him the only player who is cup tied in the competition.
Stakes will once again be very high in Wembley as both clubs aim to win the trophy, with only six points separating them in the league, making it a final between two of the best teams in England. For Pep Guardiola, it is an opportunity to win the 9th Carabao Cup for the citizen which closes the gap on Liverpool, who have 10, while for Arteta, it is a chance to finally end their trophy drought, as the last major trophy the Gunners won was a Fa cup trophy back in 2020.
