The Carabao Cup final between Manchester City and Arsenal may only decide one trophy, but its importance stretches far beyond Wembley.
For both clubs, this is a psychological crossroads that could shape the Premier League run-in.
Why the Carabao Cup final matters for the Premier League title race
When City and Arsenal meet on March 22, the league table may look very different. But whatever the gap, the psychological impact of this game will linger.
Arsenal are chasing a first Premier League title in more than two decades, whereas City are trying to reassert themselves after a season that has lacked their usual authority.
There are already intriguing selection subplots building around the final too, including why Marc Guehi won’t be allowed to play.
A final between the two, at this point of the campaign, could genuinely shape the title race.
What a Manchester City win would do to Arsenal
If City win at Wembley, it gives them something they have been missing for much of the season: leverage.
Even if Arsenal are still ahead in the league, City would be able to plant a familiar seed of doubt.
They have been here before. They know how to chase. They know how to apply pressure late in the season.
Beating Arsenal in a final would reinforce that narrative inside both dressing rooms.
For Arsenal, the danger is not the defeat itself but the questions that would follow.
City would suddenly become a looming presence again, reminding Mikel Arteta’s side that no lead is truly safe until it is mathematically done.
City have often used cup wins as a reset button – four of the six times Pep Guardiola has won the League Cup, he has gone on to win the Premier League the same season.
This final could serve that purpose again.
What an Arsenal win would mean for belief and momentum
For Arsenal, winning this final could be transformative in terms of belief and momentum.
Beating City at Wembley would be the club’s first major trophy since 2020 under Mikel…
..
