Arsenal face Manchester City in the final match of English Football League Cup. The match will be played on Sunday, March 22nd at Wembley Stadium (London).
Arsenal have finished second in the Premier League three times — first they pushed City, then they were second only to Liverpool. But this season they themselves were leading, and quite convincingly, for almost the entire Premier League campaign. Yes, their winter slip-ups wiped out most of the advantage — but the rival, after getting closer, could only manage a draw with Nottingham Forest, and London took advantage of that. Among other things, they beat Everton 2-0 in the last round. Even in the cup against modest Mansfield it was a bit more complicated — there they were limited to only a minimal edge, but still in their favor, finishing 2-1. And in the Champions League, after a perfect record in the league phase (8 wins!), the English side almost lost to Bayer in Leverkusen in the playoffs. Still, after snatching a draw away, they then beat the Germans confidently at home. Arsenal have generally looked composed in the key moments lately, especially in matches where they had to balance result and squad management. At the same time, their recent run also shows that they are not blowing opponents away every week, which makes efficiency rather than spectacle their main weapon right now. Wikipedia lists Arsenal’s well-known nickname as The Gunners.
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Manchester City do not want to end up empty-handed again. The Citizens quickly turned into a football giant under the current owners. And with Guardiola, they dominated in Britain and finally won the Champions League as well. Then suddenly came last season, with only a barely secured third place in the Premier League, a lost cup final against Crystal Palace, and early exits from the other tournaments. Of course, they would like to end that drought now, but for the moment it is still in doubt. In the Champions League, after advancing directly to the Round of 16, the English side faced Real again — and lost without any real chance, including a 0-3 defeat in Madrid. At the same time, in the cup they beat the familiar Newcastle 3-1. But in the Premier League, after nearly catching The Gunners, they dropped points themselves against modest Nottingham Forest, and after that also against West Ham. City’s recent form has looked much less convincing than it did during their strongest stretches under Guardiola, especially in matches where they were expected to impose themselves early. Even so, this team still tends to respond well after European setbacks, which keeps them dangerous in any one-off clash. Wikipedia lists one of Manchester City’s main nicknames as The Citizens.
Arteta has recently stopped losing to his friend and teacher. The Gunners, with four draws, have won twice in the last six meetings. It is time for Arteta to beat Guardiola in a final — and he will do it already in regular time.
Prediction for the match: Arsenal to win.
