Arsenal 0-2 Man City LIVE: Nico O'Reilly double secures Carabao Cup Final 2026 for Man City

It's time for the Carabao Cup Final!

What a game we have in store today as Arsenal take on Man City at Wembley for the first silverware of the season.

Mikel Arteta hasn’t won a major trophy with the Gunners since 2020, but chances won’t come much better than this. His side have been flying in the Premier League and currently sit nine points clear.

Man City, though, are EFL Cup specialists, and Pep Guardiola’s run of four consecutive Carabao Cup wins between 2017-18 and 2020-21 has to count for something.

Most Memorable Carabao Cup Moments...

Most SHOCKING Carabao Cup Final Moments! - YouTube

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Odegaard and Timber to return?

PRESS CONFERENCE | Mikel Arteta on Carabao Cup final l Injury updates & Manchester City threat - YouTube

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Captain Martin Ødegaard and full-back Jurriën Timber could return for today's final, which would be a huge boost for Mikel Arteta's men.

Speaking at the press conference on Friday, he said: "Let's see if they can make it."

Ødegaard has been plagued by minor injuries throughout the season and has managed just one goal all campaign. Arsenal fans wouldn't mind a timely goal today.

James Trafford STARTING

The big team news coming out of Man City is that James Trafford will keep his place for today's final.

Pep Guardiola has used the 23-year-old in every EFL Cup match this season as part of his policy of allowing the Englishman to play in domestic cup matches, while Gianluigi Donnarumma features in Premier League and Champions League games.

What time does Arsenal vs Man City kick-off?

Arsenal vs. Man City kicks off at 4:30 pm GMT (local time), with a 12:30 pm ET and 9:30 am PT start time in the United States. In Australia, you’ll need to be up in the early hours, with a 3:30 am AEDT start on Monday.

Bukayo Saka: "It would mean everything to me"

Bukayo Saka says it's time to win 'BIG THINGS' with Arsenal | "This was in my wildest dreams" - YouTube

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Bukayo Saka has been speaking to Paul Merson ahead of the Carabao Cup Final.

Speaking about the chance to win a first EFL trophy he said: "It would mean everything to me". Catch the full interview above.

Arsenal's road to the final...

Third Round: Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal – goals from Trossard and Eze help Arsenal advance to the fourth round.

Fourth Round: Arsenal 2-0 Brighton & Hove Albion – Ethan Nwaneri and Bukayo Saka get on the scoresheet.

Quarter-Final: Arsenal 1-1 Crystal Palace (won 8-7 on penalties) – a late Guehi leveller takes it to penalties, but the Gunners win on home turf.

Semi-Final (Two Legs) vs Chelsea:
First Leg: Chelsea 2–3 Arsenal - An end-to-end game ends 3-2 at the Bridge
Second Leg: Arsenal 1–0 Chelsea - Arsenal defended doggidly and came out the other side thanks to a late Kai Havertz winner

How can I watch Arsenal vs Man City for free?

It's very simple, ITV in the UK and CBS Sports Golazo in the US are streaming the game for free.

Outside either of these countries right now? Unlock your stream with NordVPN (73% off + free Amazon gift card right now!)

Man City's road to the final...

Third Round: Huddersfield Town 0-2 Manchester City – Phil Foden and Savinho score as City begin their cup campaign with a solid away win.

Fourth Round: Swansea City 1-3 Manchester City – After falling behind, City come back with goals from Jérémy Doku, Omar Marmoush and Rayan Cherki to reach the quarter-finals.

Quarter-Final: Manchester City 2-0 Brentford – City secure a comfortable home victory to progress deep into the competition.

Semi-Final (Two Legs) vs Newcastle United:
First Leg: Newcastle United 0-2 Manchester City – City take a strong advantage on the road in the first leg.
Second Leg: Manchester City 3-1 Newcastle United – With goals from Omar Marmoush (2) and Tijjani Reijnders, City complete a 5–1 aggregate win to book their spot in the final vs Arsenal.

What other football is on today?

While all the focus will be on the cup final between Arsenal and Man City, we still have plenty of great games to get stuck into beforehand and afterwards.

Currently, Newcastle are leading Sunderland 1-0 in the Tyne-Wear derby, and later we have a crucial relegation battle between Tottenham and Nottingham Forest.

If European football is more your thing, we also have De Klassieker in Holland, as Feyenoord take on bitter rivals Ajax at 1:30 pm GMT. Real Madrid also welcome city rivals Atletico this evening as they bid to keep up with Barcelona in La Liga.

Who does AI think will win the 2026 Carabao Cup final?

AI is at the forefront of everything now, so let's see who they're backing for today's final:

ChatGPT said: "I’d predict Arsenal 2‑1 Manchester City — a close, high‑intensity game with Arsenal just edging it."

Gemini said: "I’d predict Arsenal 1-1 Manchester City — a tense, tactical stalemate that sees Arsenal eventually clinching the trophy on penalties."

Glory again for Eberechi Eze at Wembley?

“It’s going to be a special day" | Eze previews Carabao Cup final - YouTube

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3 hours till kick-off!

Set those alarms!

We are just three hours away from kick-off at Wembley. Will it be Arsenal's day in the sun, or can Man City add a ninth League Cup title?

Do Arsenal have the edge over Man City?

Albeit Arsenal have at times been criticised for their defensive performances, their recent record against Man City is very strong.

The Gunners haven't lost against Pep Guardiola's side in their last six matches dating back to 2023. You feel a stoic performance today may see them over the line.

Arsenal vs Man City: Key Streams

Here are some of the key streams across the world for Arsenal vs Man City:

UK: ITVX (FREE)
US: CBS Sports Golazo (FREE) / Paramount Plus
AUS: beIN Sports Connect
CAN: DAZN

Outside your usual country? NordVPN can unlock your Carabao Cup final stream from anywhere in the world.

Tony Adams backing Arsenal to get revenge for 2018

"Get revenge for 2018" | Tony Adams previews the Carabao Cup Final between Arsenal and Man City - YouTube

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Ruben Dias out

Some big news coming out of Wembley with Sam Lee of The Athletic reporting that the Man City defender is out with a hamstring injury.

That means we won't see Dias or Marc Guehi for Pep Guardiola, who is ineligible to play after featuring for Crystal Palace earlier in the competition.

When can I start watching free coverage of the Carabao Cup final?

ITVX's free coverage of the Carabao Cup final will begin at 3:30pm GMT with a full hour build-up to the game kicking off at 4:30pm.

Outside the UK? NordVPN will unlock your free stream from anywhere in the world.

Eberechi Eze potentially out of Carabao Cup final

Despite his success at Wembley last year for Crystal Palace, it appears Eberechi Eze may miss this final through injury.

Jurrien Timber also looks as if he may miss out.

Team News soon...

Man City XI - No Dias in the squad

Man City XI: Trafford, Nunes, Khusanov, Ake, O’Reilly, Rodri, Silva, Semenyo, Cherki, Doku, Haaland.

Arsenal XI - Kepa starts for Arteta

Arsenal XI: Kepa; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapié; Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Havertz, Trossard; Gyökeres.

Heating up on Wembley Way...

So, just over an hour till it all kicks off in the capital, and both Arsenal and Man City fans are making their way down the iconic Wembley Way.

If you can't make it to the game today. Then fear not, ITVX will be streaming the full game for free with pre and post match analysis.

How to stream Arsenal vs Man City

Here are some of the key streams across the world for Arsenal vs Man City:

UK: ITVX (FREE)
US: CBS Sports Golazo (FREE) / Paramount Plus
AUS: beIN Sports Connect
CAN: DAZN

Kepa has something to prove

Kepa has played in two League Cup finals and lost both with Chelsea, most infamously in 2019 when he refused to be substituted by Maurizio Sarri.

Mikel Arteta has opted to go with the Spaniard today, so he will no doubt be desperate to put things right and lift the first trophy of the season.

What does the writer have to say...

Well being a Shrewsbury Town fan, winning at Wembley isn’t something I’ve experienced.

However, I think the first goal could be pivotal today. If Arsenal get it, that will suit them — they can drop into a low block and frustrate Man City. But if Guardiola's side score first, it could really open up the game and we could be in for a cracker.

I’m hoping for the latter, so I’ll go for Arsenal 1–3 Man City, with Phil Foden to grab a couple off the bench.

Tony Adams with a delightful suit on as he prepares to watch his Arsenal take on Man City.

The former defender captained the Gunners to their last League Cup victory in 1993 against Sheffield Wednesday.

What effect could the League Cup final have on the title race?

While this game will mathematically have no effect on the title race, the psychological impact of a win for either side could be fascinating.

Manchester City could exploit Arsenal’s seemingly soft underbelly if they clinch the cup today, while a victory for the Gunners would surely give them a huge boost as they look to hold on to their nine-point lead in the league.

30 minutes till kick-off — get your stream ready

ITV in the UK and CBS Sports Golazo in the US are streaming the game for free.

Outside either of these countries right now? Unlock your stream with NordVPN (73% off + free Amazon gift card right now!)

Can't watch — listen on BBC Radio 5 Live!

Radio 5 Live are broadcasting the full Carabao Cup final commentary across the UK for free.

Outside Britain? NordVPN can unlock BBC Sounds from anywhere.

Battle of the two keepers...

It feels like most of the talk today is around the selection of both reserve keepers with James Trafford playing for Man City and Kepa for Arsenal.

First-choice Gianluigi Donnarumma (Man City) and David Raya (Arsenal) have both been in excellent form in 2025/26.

Last Chance: Stream free on ITV & CBS Sports Golazo

Here come the teams

Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola embrace in the tunnel and here come the teams.

Kick-off — we're underway!

We're underway at Wembley. Here is how you can stream in the UK, US, Australia and Canada:

UK: ITVX (FREE)
US: CBS Sports Golazo (FREE) / Paramount Plus
AUS: beIN Sports Connect
CAN: DAZN

Outside your usual country? NordVPN can unlock your Carabao Cup final stream from anywhere in the world.

Arsenal 0-0 Man City

A first chance for Viktor Gyokeres to get his legs moving as he rushes to the byline before his pull back is cleared by Khusanov.

Arsenal 0-0 Man City - Triple save from James Trafford!

Zubimendi slips Havertz in and Trafford saves from the German before denying Saka twice on the follow-ups.

Arsenal 0-0 Man City

A good start from Arsenal with Man City's makeshift defence struggling to deal with them so far.

Arsenal 0-0 Man City

First yellow card of the day goes to Piero Hincapie as his late challenge arrives on Matheu Nunes.

Arsenal 0-0 Man City

City show their first signs of attacking threat as a delightful cross from Semenyo is almost turned home by Haaland. Saliba doing just enough.

Arsenal 0-0 Man City

City are just beginning to grow into the game after a bright start by Arsenal.

73% possession in the last 10 minutes for the Manchester side.

Arsenal 0-0 Man City

It's settled into a familiar pattern at Wembley, not much between the two sides.

Arsenal 0-0 Man City

Man City still yet to have a shot in this game. Mikel Arteta will be delighted with his side's defence so far.

Arsenal 0-0 Man City

A decent cross from Antoine Semenyo and Haaland gets up but Ben White does enough to put him off his header.

HT — Arsenal 0-0 Man City

Nothing to separate the sides at the break. We go in at 0-0.

Stream second-half free on ITV & CBS Sports Golazo

Want to watch the second-half? ITVX (UK) and CBS Sports Golazo (US) are streaming the game for free.

Outside either country? Access your free stream with NordVPN and get a free Amazon gift card included.

Underway in the second-half

Bernardo Silva gives it back to Rodri and we continue in the second-half.

Arsenal 0-0 Man City

Kepa rushes off his line, but Doku gets there first. The Spaniard then brings him down, preventing a clear chance on goal.

The decision: a yellow card for Kepa and a free kick in a dangerous position for City. Interesting call that one, could the referee allowed advantage a bit longer?

Arsenal 0-0 Man City

Man City are upping the ante now as Arsenal fall deeper and deeper. Can they make the pressure count?

Goallllll — Nico O'Reilly

I's 1-0 Man City as Kepa makes a dreadful mistake!

Arsenal 0-1 Man City

More on the goal — Silva plays it to Cherki, who delivers a cross. Kepa goes for an easy claim, but it somehow slips through his hands, and Nico O'Reilly is on hand to nod the simplest of headers in.

What are you doing, Kepa!

Goalllll — Nico O'Reilly at it again!

Another goal from Nico O'Reilly! Rodri feeds Nunes, who delivers a cross, and O'Reilly nods it into the back of the net to make it 2-0.

Arsenal are crumbling as City rise, thanks to their 21-year-old star!

Arsenal 0-2 Man City

Riccardo Calafiori and Noni Madueke come on for Kai Havertz and Piero Hincapie. Mikel Arteta needs a goal as soon as possible.

Nico O'Reilly nods Man City in front — what a moment for the 21-year-old.

Arsenal 0-2 Man City

Arsenal have created next to nothing since that early triple save from James Trafford.

The belief is sapping out of this Arsenal side as it appears they will fall short once again.

Arsenal 0-2 Man City

Calafiori hits the post. A sweetly timed volley from the Italian, but he can't quite find the back of the net.

Arsenal 0-2 Man City

The Arsenal fans are beginning to leave, Man City are closing in on a ninth Carabao Cup and a fifth for Pep Guardiola.

Arsenal 0-2 Man City

Gabriel Jesus hits the bar! A looping header evades Trafford but it comes back off the bar and Gyokeres can't turn in the rebound.

Arsenal 0-2 Man City

Jeremy Doku fires it just wide after finding himself in miles of space in midfield. Four minutes of added time for the Gunners to give themselves a glimmer of hope.

Man CIty are Carabao Cup Champions once again!