THE first major silverware of the domestic season is on the line this Sunday afternoon as Premier League title rivals Arsenal and Manchester City go head-to-head in a mouth-watering Carabao Cup Final at Wembley Stadium.
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal step onto the hallowed Wembley turf with a crucial 24-hour rest advantage. The Gunners are flying high after a tense, emotional victory over Bayer Leverkusen at the Emirates on Tuesday night to book their spot in the Champions League quarter-finals. Having navigated a tricky Carabao Cup path that included a semi-final win over Chelsea, Arsenal are brimming with confidence and will look to capitalise on their slight physical edge to lift their first League Cup since 1993.
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, however, are arriving at Wembley in a state of shock. The Citizens’ European dreams were brutally crushed on Wednesday night after they were completely dismantled by Real Madrid at the Etihad. Sent crashing out of the Champions League in humiliating fashion, City are a wounded animal. While they are chasing their ninth League Cup triumph, Guardiola faces a monumental task to pick his demoralised superstars up off the floor and salvage their week with domestic silverware.
You can back the Gunners to end their League Cup drought—or the Citizens to claim yet another piece of silverware—with a 300% welcome offer using the bet365 bonus code SUN365.
The offer for Arsenal vs Manchester City
Sign up today, and you can secure £30 in Free Bets to use on Sunday’s Carabao Cup Final.
- Deposit £5 > Get £15 in Free Bets
- Deposit £10 > Get £30 in Free Bets
Simply copy and paste the bet365 bonus code SUN365 during registration to unlock this promotion.
The betting angle: A wounded City or a confident Arsenal?
This final will be defined by Manchester City’s psychological response. Arsenal had the luxury of wrapping up their tie against Leverkusen relatively early, allowing Arteta to protect key figures like Viktor Gyökeres and Bukayo Saka. The Gunners will look to start fast, utilising their extra day of recovery to press high, suffocate a leggy City midfield, and prey on any lingering doubts from Wednesday’s collapse.
For Manchester City, Guardiola has to roll the dice. After spending 90 minutes chasing shadows against Vinícius Júnior and Jude Bellingham, several core players will be running on empty. This is exactly where City’s winter investments must step up. The sheer pace of Antoine Semenyo and the directness of Rayan Cherki will likely be called upon from the start to inject fresh energy into the frontline. However, given City’s exhausting week, Arsenal’s rest advantage and defensive solidity under Gabriel Magalhães make the Gunners strong favourites to pile more misery onto Pep’s men.
- Our tip: Arsenal to Lift the Trophy & Arsenal to Score First
- The longshot: Viktor Gyökeres to score anytime
How to use the bet365 bonus code
- Click here to open your account at bet365.
- Enter the bet365 bonus code SUN365 in the ‘Bonus Code’ field.
- Deposit £5 or £10 via debit card (we recommend avoiding Apple Pay/PayPal for the first deposit to ensure eligibility).
- Place a qualifying wager on Arsenal vs Man City at odds of 1/5 (1.20) or higher.
- Once your bet settles, your Free Bets (3x your deposit) will be ready to use.
📺 How to watch Arsenal vs Manchester City
- Date: Friday, March 20, 2026
- Kick-off: 8:00pm GMT
- Venue: Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth
- TV Channel: Sky Sports Main Event & Sky Sports Premier League
About the author
Craig Mahood
Craig Mahood is an expert in sports betting and online casinos and has worked with the company since 2020. He joined the Betting & Gaming team at The Sun in June 2022 and works closely with the leading bookmakers and online gaming companies to provide content on all areas of sports betting and gaming. He previously worked as a Digital Sports Reporter at the Scottish Sun, covering Scottish football with particular focus on Celtic and Rangers, As well as football, he has covered horse racing, boxing, darts, the Olympics and tennis for the Sun.
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
- Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
- Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
- Never chase their losses
- Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
- Gamcare – gamcare.org.uk
- GambleAware – GambleAware.org
Read our guide on responsible gambling practices.
For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.
