Carabao Cup Final, Sunday 22 March, 4:30pm: Best Betting Sites and Selections

Sunday afternoon will see the first major domestic trophy of the season lifted as Wembley Stadium hosts the 2026 Carabao Cup Final. This year, the cream has risen to the top to present a final which, on paper, should be a cracker. First and second in the Premier League, Arsenal will take on Manchester City in a major cup final for the first time since the 2018 climax to this competition. Pep Guardiola’s City outfit ran out 3-0 winners on that occasion, but how will things play out this time around?

Here, using data presented by NewBettingSites.uk, we highlight a selection of great value offers ahead of the big game, and pick out our best bets for the Sunday afternoon showdown.

Best Betting Sites and Betting Offers for the Carabao Cup Final

With a packed weekend of horse racing and Premier League football to complement the Cup Final, there are plenty of great offers around for those looking to enhance the entertainment with a bet or two. Focusing on the welcome deals, the following are brought to you by a top-class operator and offer excellent value.

Quadruple Still on for the Gunners?

While they haven’t got their hands on any silverware yet, 2025/26 has the potential to turn into a truly memorable season for the Gunners. Nine points clear at the top of the Premier League, into the quarter-finals of the FA Cup and the Champions League, and with this game first on the agenda, could Mikel Arteta’s men really win the quadruple?

The Gunners' route to the final has taken in three clashes with Premier League clubs. While the two semi-final encounters with Chelsea were tight, they came closest to exiting the competition when scraping past Palace in a marathon 8-7 penalty shootout.

Arsenal have lost three League Cup finals in the current century, with their last win coming when beating Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 back in 1993.

Ninth Win for City

City won’t have given up hope in the Premier League just yet. They may be nine points behind Arsenal, but they can cut that gap to three if they win their game in hand and beat Arsenal at the Etihad on 19 April. Nevertheless, the Citizens' most realistic chance of grabbing silverware in 2025/26 lies in the domestic cup competitions.

City have been untroubled on their route to the final, breezing past League One side Huddersfield Town and Championship outfit Swansea City, before dispatching Brentford at home. A two-legged clash with holders Newcastle looked tricky on paper, but City effectively put the tie to bed with a 2-0 win on Tyneside in the first leg.

With eight wins, City lie behind only Liverpool on the all-time League Cup winners list. Four of those wins have come during the Pep Guardiola era, most recently when beating Spurs 1-0 in the 2021 Final.

Head-to-Head Record

Arsenal hold the edge over City in the all-time head-to-head stats. The Gunners have won 100 of 214 matches in all competitions, compared to 65 wins for City and 49 draws. That record reflects Arsenal’s longer status as a leading club, whereas City’s sustained success has come in the current century.

The only game between the sides this season came in the Premier League encounter at the Emirates. City took the lead through a ninth-minute Erling Haaland strike that day, and almost held on for all three points, only for Gabriel Martinelli to equalise in the 92nd minute.

Carabao Cup xG and Stats

The stats for the season largely align with what the Premier League table tells us. At present, Arsenal are a slightly better side than Manchester City. Usually behind City in the attacking stats, Arsenal have all but closed that gap, thanks in no small part to their frightening efficiency from set-pieces. At the other end of the pitch, Arsenal have a slightly more decisive edge. Conceding only 22 times in the Premier League, the Gunners have the league’s stingiest defence. In fairness to City, they have performed well at the back, with only 28 conceded, but have rarely looked as watertight as the league leaders.

Arsenal hold the edge on current form. Following a 2-0 home success over Bayer Leverkusen in midweek, Declan Rice and co are unbeaten in their last 14 in all competitions, losing only one of their last 27.

City had been on a decent run of their own as they threatened to come with their trademark late charge. However, with home and away defeats to Real Madrid sandwiching a disappointing draw at West Ham, they now arrive without a win in three.

Carabao Cup Best Bets

City have so much talent in their ranks that they are always a threat in a one-off game. However, this Arsenal side is beginning to look like the real deal. Much has been made of their ability to “win ugly” of late, but they have also played some wonderful football at times. Whatever you make of Arteta’s methods, he has finally created an extremely efficient side.

Arsenal were the dominant side for much of the Premier League clash back in September and arrive in better form now. There’s a fair chance that this may turn into a similarly tactical affair, but we like Arsenal’s chances of just edging a relatively entertaining encounter.

For a goalscorer bet, take a chance on Eberechi Eze to strike first. With a glut of goals in the North London derbies and a rocket in the Champions League in midweek, the England star is becoming the man for the big occasion. Having broken City's hearts with the winner for Palace in the 2025 FA Cup Final, he can contribute to their downfall once again.