The Carabao Cup final between Arsenal and Manchester City is getting closer and closer, but Josep Guardiola’s side are faced with an even more difficult and demanding scenario.
Mikel Arteta will be happy with Manchester City’s next FA Cup opponent (Image: Getty Images)
Arsenal’s hopes of winning the Carabao Cup have increased after Manchester City learned their opponents for the FA Cup fifth round. The fourth round resulted in a friendly draw between the Gunners and Blues.
Despite being unconvinced, City faced Salford City at the Etihad Stadium, scoring four first-half goals to beat Mikel Arteta’s Wigan Athletic 4-0. The FA Cup gods have smiled on Arsenal again as they were given an away game to League One side Mansfield Town, who recently defeated Burnley.
However, facing an ominous away fixture against Newcastle United, City suffered a nightmare draw. Pep Guardiola, who comfortably saw them off in the League Cup semi-final, will not be satisfied with anything less than a win.
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But while Arteta is certain to be available for the second team against Mansfield, Guardiola will need to deploy most, if not all, of his available guns if he is serious about winning the title.
The problem for City is that this fixture will take place over the weekend of March 7th or 8th, two weeks before the League Cup final, although the exact date and kick-off time are yet to be determined.
Prior to the FA Cup game, a home match against relegation contenders Nottingham Forest will be held on March 4th under a new manager. There will also be an away test match on March 14th against West Ham United, who are continuing to improve.
The away trips to Newcastle and West Ham will be preceded by the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16 stage on March 10th and 11th. City will face either Real Madrid, Benfica, Bodo/Glimt or Inter Milan, while the Gunners will face Atalanta, Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen or Olympiakos.
Beating North Londoners in the League Cup final would be a huge psychological blow for Arteta’s side as City look to chase down Arsenal, who have not won a major trophy since winning the FA Cup in 2020.
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But the game against Newcastle in the FA Cup is dangerous. City’s second-tier side will be vulnerable to the Magpies if manager Eddie Howe brings in FA Cup-qualified players.
With Thun slipping further and further away from Champions League qualification, the old competition appears to be their only hope of salvaging a lackluster season and qualifying for the Europa League. For Guardiola to beat Newcastle, he will have to risk losing some of his heavy hitters to injury during a busy and tough period.
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Against Wigan, Arteta was able to rest David Raya, Declan Rice and Gabriel Magalhães, and was also able to remove Bukayo Saka and William Saliba early. The huge and talented squad that Arteta has assembled means his second-string eleven can bankroll most teams in Europe, and he will be hoping they can get past Mansfield.
There are a lot of expectations for the upcoming League Cup final, not just the gong itself. Arsenal have had a great run this season, but the experience of leading the title race for three seasons before losing to City at the last minute will stay with them until the title bubble bursts.
Guardiola’s side will face Howes Magpies in the next round of the FA Cup (Image: 2026 Getty Images)
Losing to City in the final at Wembley Stadium will remain in the back of our minds long after the Carabao confetti has been cleared away. Rest assured, Guardiola would have been most unhappy with the FA Cup draw.
His team struggled throughout January but now look capable of making a title challenge. After winning just one Premier League game last month and a two-goal lead against Spurs in early February, City have stepped up their game again.
A decisive victory over Liverpool at Anfield was a huge result, and given Arsenal’s failure to protect their lead against Brentford, the following 3-0 victory over Fulham was equally golden.
The title battle between Arsenal and Manchester City looks set to be a close one (Image: 2025 Getty Images)
The Gunners face Wolverhampton Wanderers at the weekend, while City face Newcastle. If City fail, as they have all season, and Arsenal beat Wolves, the League Cup final may mean little in the title race.
For now, both teams are aiming for that and can go all the way to the end. Small advantages become gold dust.
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