Mikel Arteta and Pep GuardiolaGetty Images
Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist
Arsenal and Manchester City will compete for their first silverware of the season on Sunday in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley.
It is a fixture that over recent seasons has been quite guarded in the Premier League, with their last meeting ending in a 1-1 draw at the Emirates in September.
But a lot has changed in six months.
Arsenal are top of the Premier League and - with a nine-point lead over City - the title is in the Gunners' hands with eight games remaining.
It is a gap City can only close if they win their game in hand, beat the Gunners at the Etihad and put together one of their infamous runs.
What could be the catalyst for that? Well perhaps a Carabao Cup win over the title leaders would show the season is far from over.
"Nobody can underestimate how much a Pep Guardiola win could shake things up mentally at the Emirates," Freddie Pye from City Xtra told BBC Sport.
But Arsenal fan Laura Kirk-Francis, from Latte Firm podcast, does not believe defeat could lead to the Gunners faltering.
"Win, and Arsenal go into the business end of the season full of confidence," she said. "Lose and the Premier League title race is still in Arsenal's hands. It's a magnificent place to be in."
Gunners win would be 'monumental' but no-one 'writing off Man City entirely'
Arsenal have not lifted a major trophy since the 2020 FA Cup and were beaten by City in the 2018 League Cup final when Mikel Arteta was still Pep Guardiola's assistant.
"A win against Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final this weekend would be monumental to the fans for so many reasons," said Kirk-Francis. "There is first the element of vengeance for all the misery that Manchester City have heaped on Arsenal and it would be an undeniable proof point that this Arsenal team are a better side than the City behemoth.
"With Arsenal currently nine points clear in the Premier League, it might even provide that little extra momentum for Arsenal to finally bring the title home to north London. The Gunners are in an excellent position, but for all the jokes about getting ready for the parade, you'd struggle to find an Arsenal fan writing off Manchester City entirely.
"All season the Arsenal players have been praised for their resilience. This group of players, with whom it's no exaggeration to say the fanbase are totally enamoured, deserve this win. Much to the chagrin of rival fanbases, Arsenal have excelled at finding a way to win and a trophy would be a just reward.
"An Arsenal loss on the other hand would be gutting for the fans.
"But this is a mentally strong team. They have just qualified for the Champions League quarter-finals, face Southampton in the FA Cup quarter-final, and are in pole position in the league.
"A loss in the final would be a setback, but this squad has dealt with setbacks magnificently all season. Since conceding a last-minute equaliser at Wolves back in February, Arsenal have won six of their last seven games. Having lost to Aston Villa back in December, Arsenal went on a 12-game unbeaten run. It would hurt, but these players know how much is at stake beyond the final itself."
'City certainly do not want another defeat'
Erling HaalandGetty Images
The mood around Manchester City is the opposite, with there being no silver lining to defeat by Arsenal on Sunday.
"Having crashed out of the Champions League to Real Madrid on Tuesday night, and falling further behind Arsenal in the Premier League title race, things are pretty gloomy around the Etihad," said Pye.
"Manchester City need a lift on and off the pitch, and what better opportunity than silverware for the first time since the Community Shield triumph prior to the start of last season.
"Whilst defeat in Europe is an obvious blow, Pep Guardiola is right: there remains plenty for City to play for, and the club's supporters will have a huge role in any success. The players need these fans, and a win on Sunday would go a long way in driving them towards perhaps an FA Cup, or possibly - albeit unlikely - a Premier League title race recovery.
"It is, of course, a huge shame for City that they don't find themselves a little closer to Arsenal in the top flight, and perhaps if we were talking about a six-point gap then a win on Sunday could have done all sorts for morale. That being said, nobody can underestimate how much a Guardiola win could shake things up mentally at the Emirates - perhaps causing them to question their own trophy-winning abilities when push comes to shove.
"What City certainly do not want is another defeat, in what could be a third successive negative result and arguably the third match in a row that ended silverware in a competition. Victory for Arsenal could be the final couple of inches for City's rising white flag in a season that appears to be tumbling towards a damning conclusion.
"For all the hope and optimism Pep Guardiola speaks about for the future, and in many ways he is right, defeat at Wembley may lead to an urgent wake-up call about just how far along this Manchester City side are in its 'rebuild', and possibly raise questions over just how long the Catalan may want to go on given the struggles at play."
So although there is silverware to play for on Sunday, it feels like there is more at stake than just a trophy for Manchester City and Pep Guardiola if they are to end this season on a high.
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