Arsenal and Man City make League Cup history before a ball is even kicked in final
Arsenal and Manchester City have already made history before Sunday's Carabao Cup final kicks off at Wembley.
Arsenal and City got past Chelsea and Newcastle respectively in the semi-finals and meet in the first final of the English domestic season.
The rivalry between the two sides has increased significantly in recent years, with various spicy encounters in league meetings.
Arsenal bested City in the 2023/2024 Community Shield on penalties but the last League Cup final between the two was in 2018 and saw Pep Guardiola's men beat the Gunners in Arsene Wenger's last final with the club.
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But even before kick-off, the fixture will made history. That's because it will be the first time that a team in first place in the Premier League has played the side in second in the League Cup final.
There have been a whole host of iconic and memorable cup finals since the competition began in 1961 but never have the top two teams in England's top division met.
City have won the League Cup eight times, four of which have come under Guardiola - who won his first trophy against Arsenal eight years ago.
Arsenal have won the FA Cup a record 14 times but they only have two League Cups in their trophy cabinet and have lost more finals in the competition more than any other team.
Carabao Cup final will see mark introduction of historic new law
Arsenal and City have each been allocated 32,000 tickets for the final but the game will be the first since a new government law clamping down on 'tailgating' - entering turnstiles without a valid ticket by closely walking behind someone who does - was brought in.
It is now illegal to so and offenders will be arrested, with a five-year banning and a fine of up to £1,000 when it comes to potential punishments.
The move comes after the chaos at Wembley for the Euro 2020 final, where thousands of England fans entered the ground without a ticket.
Sarah Jones, Minister of State for Policing and Crime, said in a statement: "Football fans should be able to enjoy the game without feeling unsafe or threatened.
"We're giving the police the tools they need to ensure the chaos we saw at Wembley five years ago never happens again.
"Anyone who endangers others by forcing their way into stadiums faces serious consequences."
Topics: Arsenal, Manchester City, Carabao Cup
Josh Lawless