The Carabao Cup semi-finals have been confirmed with Man City favourites at 13/8 ahead of Arsenal, Chelsea and holders Newcastle, with the final set for Wembley in March 2026.
Tom James Phillips
11:59, 13 Jan 2026Updated 12:01, 13 Jan 2026
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The Carabao Cup trophy
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Arsenal and Chelsea meet in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup (Image: Getty Images)
The first domestic final is just over two months away, and we're down to the last four. The two-legged semi-finals kick off this week with the first match at St James' Park, where Newcastle United will host Man City.
As the current Carabao Cup champions, having home advantage in the first leg should benefit them as they aim to fend off Erling Haaland and his teammates.
Man City's track record in the League Cup, particularly under Pep Guardiola, speaks volumes. Despite not progressing beyond the quarter-final in the past four seasons, Guardiola previously led the team to an unprecedented four consecutive league cup victories.
They'll also be buoyed by the fact that they haven't lost twice to the Magpies in a single season since 1983/84.
In other news, the semi-final lineup includes an all-London clash as Premier League leaders Arsenal take on Chelsea. New manager Liam Rosenior will be hoping to make an immediate impact at his new club with a strong performance in his first match at Stamford Bridge, reports the Mirror.
Historically, the Blues have a robust record against Arsenal in this competition, having lost only two ties - in the 1976/77 first round and more recently in the 2017/18 semi-final.
Mikel Arteta will be keen to make a significant impact and avoid the undesirable record of leading the club to its 10th semi-final defeat. This is a feat that no team has accomplished before, with both Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur currently tied on nine semi-final losses since the competition began.
Who are the favourites to win the League Cup?
Manchester City are the favourites according to the bookies, with the best odds currently offered by Betway and AK Bets at 7/4, while Betfred have them at 13/8. Other bookmakers including bet365, Paddy Power, Betfair and Sky Bet all have Pep Guardiola's side at 6/4 to secure his fifth League Cup trophy during his tenure at the Etihad Stadium.
Hot on their heels is Mikel Arteta's Arsenal, former protégé of Guardiola, with odds closely matched at 7/4 with William Hill and Betfred. The Gunners, who have only clinched one piece of silverware under Arteta, stand a solid chance of potentially setting up a final showdown with City if the semi-finals go in their favour, and the bookies currently have them priced neck-and-neck.
Meanwhile, Chelsea are not far behind, with the best odds of 9/2 offered by bet365, Unibet and SpreadEx as the Blues aim to make a swift impression under new boss Rosenior. The five-time winners are also listed at 4/1 with William Hill, 888sport and 10bet at the time of writing.
Newcastle, the current holders, are considered the least likely to win among the four teams, but they still have decent odds at 11/2 to retain their trophy from last season. Eddie Howe's squad is currently best priced at 7/1 with AK Bets, while William Hill, Paddy Power and Coral all offer odds of 13/2 for them to repeat their success.
Carabao Cup Outright Odds
Man City - 13/8
Arsenal - 7/4
Chelsea - 7/2
Newcastle - 11/2
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