Former Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor has predicted Arsenal to beat Manchester City in the EFL Cup final on Sunday (March 22) at the Wembley in London.
The Gunners and City – in that order – are the two leading sides in the Premier League standings as they lock horns on Sunday for the EFL Cup title. Mikel Arteta’s side had beaten Chelsea 4-2 on aggregate in the semi-finals, while City saw off fellow domestic rivals Newcastle United 5-1 across two legs.
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Agbonlahor reckons the Gunners would emerge victorious, tipping centre-backs Gabriel and William Saliba to rein in City striker Erling Haaland and end the team’s near six-year trophy drought.
“Arsenal win, Arsenal win, Ally (McCoist), for me,” Agbonlahor said on talkSPORT (via Arsenal Insider). “I just think they know how important that game is. I just think when I look at Man City, I just think Gabriel (Magalhaes) and (William) Saliba are going to be so aggressive on (Erling) Haaland, the form that he’s been in.
“And I think it’s going to get spicy on the touchline. I know they’re friends, (Mikel) Arteta and Guardiola, but I think everything’s on the line in this game.”
While the Gunners haven’t won the EFL Cup in more than three decades since their second triumph in 1993, City are eight-time winners, having last won the competition in 2021.
What happened the last time Arsenal played Manchester City in the EFL Cup?
Arsenal and Manchester City are preparing for their first EFL Cup clash since meeting in the quarter-finals in December 2020, a few months after the Gunners had beaten Chelsea 2-1 in the final to win a record 14th FA Cup title.
Going back to the clash with City at the Emirates, Gabriel Jesus – then with City – opened the scoring inside three minutes before Alexandre Lacazette restored parity for the Gunners 28 minutes later.
Following the break, it was all City, with Riyad Mahrez, Phil Foden and Aymeric Laporte scoring. Pep Guardiola’s side would go on to win the competition, beating Manchester United 2-0 in the semi-final and Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 in the final to win the competition for an eighth time.
Manchester City also won the Premier League that year, with the Gunners finishing a lowly eighth, a massive 25 points adrift of the champions. Five years later, Mikel Arteta’s side are alive in their historic quadruple bid, having reached the quarter-finals in the UEFA Champions League and the FA Cup.
Edited by Bhargav
