Alan Shearer has backed Arsenal to end their long wait for silverware by beating Manchester City in today’s eagerly anticipated Carabao Cup final.
Premier League leaders Arsenal are eyeing a historic quadruple this season as they fight it out for honours in all four fronts heading into what promises to be an intriguing spectacle at Wembley.
Pep Guardiola’s City, meanwhile, have been forced to pick themselves up after being dumped out of the Champions League by Real Madrid in midweek.
And in between their two last-16 legs, City’s dwindling title hopes took an almighty blow as they were held to a 1-1 draw away to West Ham, leaving the Gunners nine points clear in the English top flight.
To make matters worse, Josko Gvardiol remains sidelined due to a fractured leg and Guardiola will also be without Marc Guehi given the England defender joined the club after the competition’s cut-off point.
Arsenal have some concerns of their own ahead of kick-off, with Jurrien Timber and captain Martin Odegaard battling to prove their fitness. Both have been pictured in training, though, and Mikel Arteta is hopeful the duo can play a part in the capital this afternoon.
City are the second-most successful team of all time in the League Cup having lifted the trophy eight times in their history – just two shy of Liverpool’s record total.
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But while Arsenal have come out on top just twice, in 1987 and 1993, Shearer is confident Arteta’s side will emerge with victory, telling Betfair: ‘I think it’ll be a great game.
‘I think there’ll be loads of talking points. It wouldn’t even surprise me if it went to penalties. But I think Arsenal might just nick it.
‘I think it’ll be a really, really tight game, but I’m going to go for an Arsenal win.’
According to Shearer, City’s performances defensively have been ‘nowhere near’ what they once were under Guardiola.
‘There is pressure on both clubs and pressure for different reasons,’ Shearer, the Premier League’s all-time top goalscorer, added.
‘There is talk about this being Pep Guardiola’s last season. Man City have been nowhere near what they’ve been in the past in terms of their defence.
‘They’ve given so many opportunities away which was summed them up the other night against Real Madrid.’
Alan Shearer's combined Arsenal/Man City XI
David Raya
Jurrien Timber
William Saliba
Gabriel
Riccardo Calafiori
Declan Rice
Rodri
Ebereche Eze
Bukayo Saka
Erling Haaland
Antoine Semenyo
Shearer, whose beloved Newcastle lifted the cup 12 months ago, is expecting ‘a bit of bite’ in the contest between two teams that finished last season trophyless.
‘It’ll be a highly charged game,’ the ex-England striker went on.
‘There’ll be plenty of excitement. There’ll be a bit of bite in the game as well because of obvious reasons.
‘But I’m really looking forward to the game. It should be a great Sunday with Newcastle kicking off early and then the cup final as well. So yeah, it’ll be amazing.’
Facing the media on Friday, Arteta refused to rule out the possibility of both Timber and Odegaard having a role to play in the final.
Timber missed Arsenal’s Champions League round-of-16 second leg with Bayer Leverkusen after hobbling off with an ankle problem in the side’s 2-0 defeat of Everton in the Premier League.
Odegaard, meanwhile, has been sidelined for the Gunners’ last six games in all competitions due to a knee injury.
‘We have another training session tomorrow, so the ones that are in contention hopefully can give us good news,’ the Arsenal boss told reporters two days ago.
‘We have another session tomorrow, so let’s see if they can make it.’
Who will win the Carabao Cup?
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Arsenal
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Manchester City
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