***City V Arsenal League Cup Final Official Match Thread***

[nottsblue]

4.30 KO at Etihad South. Have a brilliant day all those who are going and let’s hope we are celebrating tonight

Quite frankly this is a must win game. Our season now depends on it. For me, this is the best chance of a trophy. And on the flip side we can’t have Arsenal winning everything.

Maybe the hurt of going out in the CL will spur us on today? But we can definitely do without Pep overthinking things. Play our best team and that means no Dias, no Marmoush, no Stones, no Foden. O’Reilly in midfield. Cherki has to start

Think we will see a boring, tight game to be honest and extra time and/or penalties wouldn’t surprise me

2-1 AET Cherki Rodri

[Nickyboy]

4.30 KO at Etihad South. Have a brilliant day all those who are going and let’s hope we are celebrating tonight

Quite frankly this is a must win game. Our season now depends on it. For me, this is the best chance of a trophy. And on the flip side we can’t have Arsenal winning everything.

Maybe the hurt of going out in the CL will spur us on today? But we can definitely do without Pep overthinking things. Play our best team and that means no Dias, no Marmoush, no Stones, no Foden. O’Reilly in midfield. Cherki has to start

Think we will see a boring, tight game to be honest and extra time and/or penalties wouldn’t surprise me

2-1 AET Cherki Rodri

Play like we did in midweek and we'll give ourselves a very good chance of winning this.

No Guehi so assuming he'll go with the same back 4 with Khus and Dias, but id rather he played Stones and Khus.

Cherki has to start, he was making something happen every time the ball went to him the other night.

Wouldn't be too sad to see Nico G start ahead of Rodri, but think Pep will be too scared to do that, and Rodri is useful because he's a big lad and strong in the air.

Imagine we'll have our most physical players involved to help defend corners so that will be O'Reilly starting as well I imagine.

[Wonderwall]

Match official appointments have been confirmed for the Carabao Cup Final:

Referee: Peter Banks

Assistant Referees: Neil Davies and Steve Meredith

Fourth Official: Tom Bramall

Reserve Assistant Referee: Marc Perry

VAR: John Brooks

AVAR: Dan Robathan

[Wonderwall]

Key 2025/26 Season Stats (approx. to Feb 2026):
Matches: 18 Premier League games.
Yellow Cards: 73 (average > 4 per match).
Red Cards: 3.
Penalties: 5.

Key Refereeing Characteristics:
Card Usage: Bankes has been noted for having one of the highest yellow cards per game rates among Premier League officials, often averaging over four.
Discipline: He has shown a high number of red cards in the 2025/26 season.

Team Records (Contextual):
Arsenal: Generally, the Gunners have had a favorable record under Bankes, with 9 wins, 1 draw, and 3 losses in 13 matches as of Feb 2026.

city stats with banks in the middle
Total Matches 12
Wins 6
Draws 1
Losses 5
Win Percentage 50%
Yellow Cards (to City) 18
Red Cards (to City) 1

[Sparklehorse]

I woke up this morning and went out to the garden for my morning coffee in the sunshine and there was a distinct whiff of victory in the air. Come on City, let's fuck these red cartel cunts up !!!

[john@staustell]

Let's hope such optimism remains after the teamsheet emerges

[Sparklehorse]

Is there extra time or does it go straight to pens ?

[john@staustell]

Is there extra time or does it go straight to pens ?

AI says extra time. Which would be my guess anyway, being a final

[CTID Hants]

Is there extra time or does it go straight to pens ?

AI says extra time. Which would be my guess anyway, being a final

Don't need AI to tell us that, it's been that way forever

Interesting Stats on the referee, our players need to be in his face over every single time one of the tarquins man hugs one of ours, shirt pulls, especially Donaruma. As we all know this is what they will do before KO

And as someone said above if we play like we did against Spanish rags and we will win.

My Super6 prediction is 1-1 @.FT with us to win in ET or on pens.

[john@staustell]

Is there extra time or does it go straight to pens ?

AI says extra time. Which would be my guess anyway, being a final

Don't need AI to tell us that, it's been that way forever
.

The authorities never change things? lol

[CTID Hants]

Just seen this on social media, I wonder if any other team has such a record.....

MANCHESTER CITY have played at Wembley every season for the last 16 seasons in a row, totalling 32 times after today (so far).

23 of those appearances have been under Peps tenure

16/04/2011 FA Cup rags 1-0
14/05/2011 FA Cup Stoke City 1-0
07/08/2011 Charity Shield rags 2-3
14/04/2013 FA Cup Chelsea 2-1
11/05/2013 FA Cup Wigan 0-1
02/03/2014 League Cup Sunderland 3-1
10/08/2014 Charity Shield Arsenal 0-3
28/02/2016 League Cup Liverpool 1-1
23/04/2017 FA Cup Arsenal 1-2
25/02/2018 League Cup Arsenal 3-0
14/04/2018 Premier League Tottenham 3-1
05/08/2018 Charity Shield Chelsea 2-0
29/10/2018 Premier League Tottenham 1-0
24/02/2019 League Cup Chelsea Neutral 0-0
06/04/2019 FA Cup Brighton 1-0
18/05/2019 FA Cup Watford 6-0
04/08/2019 Charity Shield Liverpool 1-1
01/03/2020 League Cup Aston Villa 2-1
18/07/2020 FA Cup Arsenal 0-2
17/04/2021 FA Cup Chelsea 0-1
25/04/2021 League Cup Tottenham 1-0
07/08/2021 Charity Shield Leicester City 0-1
16/04/2022 FA Cup Liverpool 2-3
22/04/2023 FA Cup Sheffield United 3-0
03/06/2023 FA Cup rags 2-1
06/08/2023 Charity Shield Arsenal 1-1
20/04/2024 FA Cup Chelsea 1-0
25/05/2024 FA Cup rags1-2
10/08/2024 Charity Shield rags 1-1
27/04/2025 FA Cup Nottingham Forest 2-0
17/05/2025 FA Cup Crystal Palace 0-1

[zuricity]

Just seen this on social media, I wonder if any other team has such a record.....

MANCHESTER CITY have played at Wembley every season for the last 16 seasons in a row, totalling 32 times after today (so far).

23 of those appearances have been under Peps tenure

16/04/2011 FA Cup rags 1-0
14/05/2011 FA Cup Stoke City 1-0
07/08/2011 Charity Shield rags 2-3
14/04/2013 FA Cup Chelsea 2-1
11/05/2013 FA Cup Wigan 0-1
02/03/2014 League Cup Sunderland 3-1
10/08/2014 Charity Shield Arsenal 0-3
28/02/2016 League Cup Liverpool 1-1
23/04/2017 FA Cup Arsenal 1-2
25/02/2018 League Cup Arsenal 3-0
14/04/2018 Premier League Tottenham 3-1
05/08/2018 Charity Shield Chelsea 2-0
29/10/2018 Premier League Tottenham 1-0
24/02/2019 League Cup Chelsea Neutral 0-0
06/04/2019 FA Cup Brighton 1-0
18/05/2019 FA Cup Watford 6-0
04/08/2019 Charity Shield Liverpool 1-1
01/03/2020 League Cup Aston Villa 2-1
18/07/2020 FA Cup Arsenal 0-2
17/04/2021 FA Cup Chelsea 0-1
25/04/2021 League Cup Tottenham 1-0
07/08/2021 Charity Shield Leicester City 0-1
16/04/2022 FA Cup Liverpool 2-3
22/04/2023 FA Cup Sheffield United 3-0
03/06/2023 FA Cup rags 2-1
06/08/2023 Charity Shield Arsenal 1-1
20/04/2024 FA Cup Chelsea 1-0
25/05/2024 FA Cup rags1-2
10/08/2024 Charity Shield rags 1-1
27/04/2025 FA Cup Nottingham Forest 2-0
17/05/2025 FA Cup Crystal Palace 0-1

So CTID H, all the City fans darn Sarf have no excuse not to be there today

[CTID Hants]

Just seen this on social media, I wonder if any other team has such a record.....

MANCHESTER CITY have played at Wembley every season for the last 16 seasons in a row, totalling 32 times after today (so far).

23 of those appearances have been under Peps tenure

16/04/2011 FA Cup rags 1-0
14/05/2011 FA Cup Stoke City 1-0
07/08/2011 Charity Shield rags 2-3
14/04/2013 FA Cup Chelsea 2-1
11/05/2013 FA Cup Wigan 0-1
02/03/2014 League Cup Sunderland 3-1
10/08/2014 Charity Shield Arsenal 0-3
28/02/2016 League Cup Liverpool 1-1
23/04/2017 FA Cup Arsenal 1-2
25/02/2018 League Cup Arsenal 3-0
14/04/2018 Premier League Tottenham 3-1
05/08/2018 Charity Shield Chelsea 2-0
29/10/2018 Premier League Tottenham 1-0
24/02/2019 League Cup Chelsea Neutral 0-0
06/04/2019 FA Cup Brighton 1-0
18/05/2019 FA Cup Watford 6-0
04/08/2019 Charity Shield Liverpool 1-1
01/03/2020 League Cup Aston Villa 2-1
18/07/2020 FA Cup Arsenal 0-2
17/04/2021 FA Cup Chelsea 0-1
25/04/2021 League Cup Tottenham 1-0
07/08/2021 Charity Shield Leicester City 0-1
16/04/2022 FA Cup Liverpool 2-3
22/04/2023 FA Cup Sheffield United 3-0
03/06/2023 FA Cup rags 2-1
06/08/2023 Charity Shield Arsenal 1-1
20/04/2024 FA Cup Chelsea 1-0
25/05/2024 FA Cup rags1-2
10/08/2024 Charity Shield rags 1-1
27/04/2025 FA Cup Nottingham Forest 2-0
17/05/2025 FA Cup Crystal Palace 0-1

So CTID H, all the City fans darn Sarf have no excuse not to be there today

Today is probably the first i will have missed of those listed above except when I've been out of the country either with work or holidays.

Took my eye off the ball on ticketing by a couple of hours and missed out. Cousins couldn't help me out either this time either.

The stand out cunt supporters (putting big six to one side) were Brightons who were actually 90% plastic rags, but the absolute worst were the Villa fans. Rags/Chelsea/gooners were bearable, and murderers were 100% what you would expect of them

[Wonderwall]

Team News

XI | Trafford, Nunes, Khusanov, Ake, O’Reilly, Rodri, Bernardo (C), Semenyo, Cherki, Doku, Haaland

SUBS | Donnarumma, Reijnders, Stones, Marmoush, Kovacic, Nico, Ait-Nouri, Savinho, Foden

Dias injured - Ake in and O'Rielly at LB

[CTID Hants]

Manchester City
@ManCity
·
1m
Your League Cup final line-up!

XI | Trafford, Nunes, Khusanov, Ake, O’Reilly, Rodri, Bernardo (C), Semenyo, Cherki, Doku, Haaland

SUBS | Donnarumma, Reijnders, Stones, Marmoush, Kovacic, Nico, Ait-Nouri, Savinho, Foden

[s1ty m]

Light in the middle, again. He hasn't repeated the horrendous Savinho mistake, but it's light in that crucial area.

[nottsblue]

Ake?
Dear Lord. Surely Stones is the better option there

[john@staustell]

Team News

XI | Trafford, Nunes, Khusanov, Ake, O’Reilly, Rodri, Bernardo (C), Semenyo, Cherki, Doku, Haaland

SUBS | Donnarumma, Reijnders, Stones, Marmoush, Kovacic, Nico, Ait-Nouri, Savinho, Foden

Dias injured - Ake in and O'Rielly at LB

Doesn't really like Ait Nouri does he? Hopefully events won't force him to bring him on, like last time

[john@staustell]

Ake?
Dear Lord. Surely Stones is the better option there

Probably feeling a strain from last week

I'd have suggested Donna for Trafford, until last week's debacle

[Bear60]

I am hearing reports of a City fans coach going up in flames on the M6 toll road hope everyone is Ok.