Pep Guardiola is targeting a first trophy in English football when Manchester City take on Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley.
City’s quadruple hopes were ended last Monday when they suffered a shock 1-0 loss at Wigan in the FA Cup, and Guardiola says his players are determined to learn from their mistakes in a bid to win the first silverware of the Spaniard’s reign at the Etihad.
Pep said: “We have to win titles to give more value to what we have done, In the beginning of August, we said we will be judged by how many we win. It is the same for the five or six big contenders.
Meanwhile Arsenal are looking to win the League Cup for the first time in 25 years.
Team news:
Aaron Ramsey is winning his battle to be fit for the final. The Wales international has missed the last three games with a groin injury but Wenger is confident he will now be ready to be involved at Wembley. Mesut Ozil is also expected to be available after illness while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang can play having been ineligible in the Europa League, but Alexandre Lacazette and Santi Cazorla are out and Henrikh Mkhitaryan is cup-tied.
Brazilian striker Gabriel Jesus could come into contention after almost two months out but a change will be required at left-back with Fabian Delph suspended. Oleksandr Zinchenko or Danilo could feature with Benjamin Mendy out long term. Guardiola has confirmed Claudio Bravo will retain his place in goal having featured in all domestic cup matches this season.
Stats:
This is Arsenal’s eighth League Cup final – they’ve lost more than any other side in the history of the competition (5), winning the tournament twice in 1987 and 1993.
Manchester City will be making their sixth appearance in the League Cup final, and third in the last five seasons. They’ve won four of their previous five, failing only in 1974.
