Arsenal v Manchester City - Carabao Cup 2017-18 Final: 5-Point Preview
The first piece of silverware available this season is on the line this Sunday as Arsenal and Manchester City square off at Wembley. The two teams have had a season of mixed fortunes so far – Manchester City have asserted unparalleled dominance in the English top tier, while Arsenal, in contrast, have been toiling and slowly crawling towards a respectable end to the season.
While a trophy is a strong enough reason to fight tooth and nail for 90 minutes, thinking about the outcome of this match raises different thoughts and questions about the immediate future of the two clubs. With that said, let’s jump right into the 5-point preview for the upcoming match.
#5 Manchester City are the more successful club in League Cup
This one might come as a surprise, considering how Arsenal are one of the most successful clubs in the country, and while their league objectives over the decade have been to finish in the Champions League places, they have stepped up their mindset and game in the domestic cup matches.
However, those domestic cup matches have not been in the League Cup, and instead have been in the more prestigious FA Cup. When it comes to the League Cup, Arsenal have often neglected this competition and have made it evident by fielding weaker lineups, giving chances to their academy products to have a go at the first-team setup.
This competition clearly doesn’t fall in their plans, which shows by their performance – between the 2013/14 and the 2016/17 seasons, Arsenal managed to reach the quarterfinals only once. Want more trivia for your next football quiz? Arsene Wenger, in his 20+ years at the club, has never won the League Cup.
Manchester City, on the other hand, seem to take this competition a bit more seriously. Over the aforementioned time period, City have managed to go all the way twice. A win on Sunday will give them their 5th League Cup (currently called the Carabao Cup for sponsorship purposes) title and would put them on second in the all-time standings, tied with Aston Villa and their neighbours Manchester United.