Arsenal seek to end their six-year trophy drought when they take to Wembley Stadium this weekend for their Carabao Cup final clash with Manchester City.
Arsenal have been battling Man City in the Premier League title race for months on end and now face a direct battle with Pep Guardiola’s men for silverware. The Catalan’s former mentee, Mikel Arteta, knows victory in Sunday’s showpiece event keeps the quadruple dream alive.
The Gunners have only won the EFL Cup on two previous occasions, most recently in 1993, and they will be considered favorites heading into their first final in the competition since being beaten by City in 2018.
Arsenal Sweating on Jürrien Timber Availability
Arsenal will be eager to see Jurriën Timber return to the fold at the weekend. An injury sustained against Everton last weekend forced the right back to sit out Wednesday night’s victory over Bayer Leverkusen, but there are hopes he will be available at Wembley with Arteta suggesting it would be a “matter of days” before his comeback.
Another influential character that Arsenal are desperate to have involved is Martin Ødegaard, the captain having been absent since the north London derby in February. Arteta’s midfield options are already limited with Mikel Merino a long-term absentee.
Kepa Arrizabalaga, who famously refused to be substituted for Chelsea in the 2019 Carabao Cup final, has started all domestic cup games this season and appears likely to retain his place ahead of first-choice goalkeeper David Raya.
- ⚠️ Key absentees, doubts: Mikel Merino, Martin Ødegaard, Jurriën Timber.
- 🔢 Predicted formation: 4-2-3-1
Arsenal Predicted Lineup vs. Man City (4-2-3-1)
GK: Kepa Arrizabalaga—As mentioned, Kepa has history in this match. The ex-Chelsea stopper has twice been defeated in penalty shootouts in the Carabao Cup final—missing the decisive spot kick in 2022—and will hope to snap his losing streak on Sunday.
RB: Jurriën Timber—Ben White and Cristhian Mosquera remain on standby but if Timber is remotely fit ahead of such a mammoth encounter, expect him to start.
CB: William Saliba—Saliba still awaits his first major title as an Arsenal player and few deserve silverware more than the Frenchman, who has been so instrumental to the club’s recent transformation.
CB: Gabriel—The Brazilian will renew his rivalry with Erling Haaland on Sunday afternoon but will be buoyed by the fact his Norwegian adversary has failed to score in all eight of his cup final appearances for City (including the Community Shield).
LB: Piero Hincapié—Antoine Semenyo could well be the awkward opponent facing up Hincapié at Wembley as both players seek a trophy in their debut seasons with their respective sides.
DM: Martín Zubimendi—Zubimendi’s classy midfield performances continue to fly under the radar and he will seek to outshine fellow Spain international Rodri in Sunday’s midfield battle.
DM: Declan Rice—The unflappable midfielder is often Arsenal’s main man for grand occasions and his familiarity with Wembley as an ever-present in the England team could come in handy.
RW: Bukayo Saka—Another familiar with Sunday’s venue is Saka, who is the only member of the current Arsenal team who featured in the squad during the 2020 FA Cup final win.
AM: Eberechi Eze—Eze has fond memories of cup finals at Wembley, scoring the winning goal for Crystal Palace against Sunday’s opponents in last term’s FA Cup final. After his recent purple patch of goalscoring form, including a midweek stunner, his confidence will be sky-high.
LW: Leandro Trossard—Arteta has a decision to make at left wing following Trossard’s recent return from a minor injury setback. The Belgian could beat out Gabriel Martinelli and Noni Madueke to start.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Arsenal XI vs. Man City: Decisive Goalkeeper Call Made—Injury News, Predicted Lineup.
