Arsenal vs Man City: Preview, Prediction & Lineups

Arsenal face one of their biggest games of the season as they take on Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final tomorrow afternoon.

The Gunners secured their spot in the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a 2-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen last time out. Eberechi Eze opened the scoring with a sensational volleyed finish on the turn before Declan Rice netted a fine effort to seal a 3-1 aggregate triumph.

It wasn't to be for City in Europe as a 2-1 defeat at home to Real Madrid saw them go crashing out of the competition. A Bernardo Silva red card and the ensuing penalty by Vinicius Junior meant the Cityzens' chances of a comeback were slim despite Erling Haaland equalising. Vinicius grabbed his second in stoppage time though to make it a 5-1 victory over two legs.

With both Arsenal and City going for the Premier League title, this clash in the final has huge stakes beyond who lifts the trophy tomorrow evening, but all eyes will be on this as a standout game at Wembley.

Here's our preview of the 2026 Carabao Cup final.

Arsenal vs Man City: Preview, Prediction & Lineups

What time does Arsenal vs Man City kick off?

Arsenal vs Man City kicks off on Sunday 22 March at 16:30 GMT.

• When is kick off? Sunday 22 March, 2026
• What time is kick off? 16:30 GMT
• Where is it played? Wembley Stadium
• Referee: Peter Bankes

Route to the final

Arsenal vs Man City head-to-head record

Arsenal vs Man City last five meetings

How to watch Arsenal vs Man City

Arsenal team news

Mikel Arteta should be blessed with a relatively full squad to pick from for the matchup in the final. However, there could be a few notable absences.

He confirmed in his pre-match press conference that he will wait and see on the availability of Jurrien Timber and captain Martin Ødegaard following Saturday's training session. Given their possible involvement, Mikel Merino is the only player certain to miss out as he remains absent with a long-term injury.

The big question ahead of the game is who starts between the sticks. Kepa has been first-choice for this competition and hasn't really put a foot wrong, but David Raya has been arguably one of the best goalkeepers in the world this season. While Arteta refused to confirm who he will start, it seems a safe bet he will honour Kepa's contributions by playing him once more.

Predicted Arsenal lineup vs Man City: Kepa; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapié; Zubimendi, Rice, Eze; Saka, Gyökeres, Trossard

Man City team news

There is no uncertainty over who will be in goal for City as Pep Guardiola confirmed James Trafford will be starting in Sunday's final.

Josko Gvardiol is the sole injury-forced absentee for the Manchester outfit as he deals with a calf issue, but fellow defender Marc Guehi is unable to play due to being cup-tied, having already faced Arsenal in the quarter-finals.

Erling Haaland will lead the line for City and will be hoping to break his Wembley duck as he aims to end a barren run that has seen him fail to score in his six appearances at the national stadium.

Predicted Man City lineup vs Arsenal: Trafford; Nunes, Dias, Stones, Ait-Nouri; Silva, Rodri, O'Reilly; Cherki, Haaland, Semenyo

Arsenal vs Man City score prediction

This is certainly going to be a tight game at Wembley. Both sides are desperate to get their hands on silverware this season, especially Arsenal, who haven't lifted a trophy since their COVID-stricken FA Cup triumph in 2020.

City are no longer fighting on all fronts while the Gunners are in a great position to keep their hopes of winning an historic quadruple alive and they can get that off to a good start tomorrow.

With not much to separate the sides, this final clash in London has the potential to go all the way down to penalties. Shootouts are always an unpredictable lottery so it's tough to call who is going to secure the crown, but of course, we'll have to go with Arsenal.

Prediction: Arsenal 1-1 Man City (Arsenal to win on penalties)