Manchester City to face Arsenal in Carabao Cup final at Wembley on 22 March

City booked their Wembley return by completing a 5–1 semi-final aggregate win over Newcastle, while Arsenal edged Chelsea 1–0 on the night to go through 4–2 overall.

Manchester City and Arsenal will meet in the 2025/26 Carabao Cup final at Wembley Stadium on 22 March, setting up a marquee showdown between Pep Guardiola and his former assistant Mikel Arteta.

City sealed their place with a 3–1 home win over Newcastle United in the second leg, completing a 5–1 aggregate victory. Arsenal, meanwhile, reached their first League Cup final since 2018 by beating Chelsea 1–0 at the Emirates, with Kai Havertz scoring in stoppage time to confirm a 4–2 aggregate win after a 3–2 first-leg success at Stamford Bridge.

An extra subplot has already emerged around City’s squad selection. Guardiola said the club will ask organisers to reconsider eligibility rules after defender Marc Guéhi was ruled out of the final because he had appeared earlier in the competition for Crystal Palace before joining City after the semi-final first leg.

With Wembley now locked in, it’s a final that doubles as a barometer for the run-in: Arsenal are chasing a major trophy to match their league push, while City have another chance to add silverware under Guardiola—and set the tone for the decisive months ahead.