Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has taken issue with the scheduling of the Carabao Cup Final against Arsenal in March.City booked their place at Wembley with an emphatic two-legged victory over ...
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has taken issue with the scheduling of the Carabao Cup Final against Arsenal in March.
City booked their place at Wembley with an emphatic two-legged victory over Newcastle, completing a dominant semi-final performance. A commanding second-leg at the Etihad Stadium removed any lingering doubt, as Pep Guardiola rotated effectively and still saw his side overwhelm Eddie Howe’s team to secure a 10th appearance in the competition’s final.
With Erling Haaland rested on Wednesday night, Omar Marmoush seized his opportunity, while the likes of Tijjani Reijnders continued to integrate seamlessly alongside established figures. A blend of rotation and control reflected Guardiola’s broader messaging this season about squad management, fitness, and sustaining standards.
However, attention quickly turned from the performance itself to what lies ahead, with City now set to face an Arsenal side widely viewed as one of Europe’s most complete teams at present in a heavyweight domestic final between two clubs.
And looking ahead to the Final against Arsenal next month, Pep Guardiola told television broadcasters after the victory over Newcastle, “We’re going to travel to London, they [Arsenal] will wait for us there.
“All the time we have to travel. Never [the opposition] travel to the North of England [for a Final].”
Guardiola also said of the contest against Mikel Arteta’s side, “It’s a pleasure to play against Arsenal, the best team right now in Europe, maybe the world for many things; stats, consistency, many details they control. As much we play against them, it’ll make us better.”
“Just I pray that I have the [Manchester City] players fit, and I have the players at our disposal to try to compete against Arsenal.”
Pep Guardiola’s comments echo a familiar frustration over Wembley’s role as the default final venue, particularly for clubs based in the North of England.
While Arsenal will also be travelling, albeit a lot nearer in distance, Manchester City’s manager has long highlighted the cumulative impact of logistics, recovery time, and preparation at the business end of the season.
Much may hinge on fitness in the weeks leading up to the final, with Guardiola having been vocal about managing minutes and avoiding overload as Manchester City compete on multiple fronts.
Should his key players remain available, Manchester City will arrive at Wembley confident, albeit mindful of the challenge posed by an Arsenal side Pep Guardiola himself described as the benchmark in European football.
Category: General Sports
