MANCHESTER, England (AP) — It is manchester city English League Cup Final vs Arsenal.
Premier League’s current top two leave Head-to-head battle at Wembley Stadium The following Wednesday, City beat Newcastle 3-1 to secure a 5-1 aggregate victory in the semi-final.
City and Arsenal are still in contention for the title this season. The League Cup is a chance to win the first silver medal in the major leagues this season, and could have a psychological impact on the title race.
“We are here to win trophies and we are working hard every day to reach the final and win the silver medal,” City forward Omar Marmouche, who scored twice on the night, told Sky Sports.
Arsenal currently sit at the top of the table, six points ahead of second-placed City. Both teams have reached the round of 16 in the Champions League and the fourth round of the FA Cup.
The League Cup final is on March 22nd.
City manager Josep Guardiola said: “It’s an honor to play against Arsenal, who are currently the best team in Europe and probably the world.” “As long as we can play against them, it’s going to make us a better, better team.”
At the Etihad, Marmouche’s two first-half goals effectively defeated Newcastle in the semi-final as City led 2-0 from the first leg. Tijani Lijnders added another goal before the break.
Newcastle looked set to lose after the first 45 minutes, with substitute Anthony Elanga scoring the winner.
Arsenal booked their place in the final with a 1-0 win against Chelsea on Tuesday, securing a 4-2 aggregate victory.
Growing rivalry
The final will continue the recent rivalry between the two clubs, which saw City defeat Arsenal to win the title in 2023 and 2024. In both cases, Arsenal were in the lead before being overhauled.
Mikel Arteta’s side remain top of the table this season as they aim to win their first title since 2004.
The League Cup is Arteta’s first major trophy since winning the FA Cup in 2020, his debut season as Arsenal manager.
He was previously Guardiola’s assistant at City, and if he wins the final, he will finally defeat his former manager and lift a major trophy.
Meanwhile, Guardiola now has the chance to win his 16th major trophy since taking over at City in 2016 and his fifth League Cup.
City are aiming to win their ninth title and move into the top 10, a record for Liverpool in this competition.
Arsenal have won the trophy twice, most recently in 1993.
This year’s final will be a repeat of 2018, when Arteta was part of Guardiola’s side and City won.
mamush double
City took the lead in the seventh minute through Marmouche, who found the back of the net after a tackle from Egypt international Dan Byrne was deflected.
The second goal was due to a defensive error in the 29th inning. Kieran Trippier’s attempted clearance looped up and Marmouche headed home from close range.
Three minutes later, Reinders curled home his third goal from inside the box.
Elanga’s goal came in the 62nd minute and Newcastle had a chance to score further.
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