Key players, line-ups and match facts as Man City take on Arsenal in Carabao Cup final

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  • Man City take on Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.

    Ahead of the game, here’s a look at the match facts, key players and likely line-ups.

    Who do you think will come out on top?

    Let us know on our Twitter and Facebook pages.

    MATCH FACTS

    1) Manchester City are aiming to win the trophy for the third time in five years, with their most recent triumph coming two years ago against Liverpool.The omens are good, boss Pep Guardiola has won six out of seven major finals he’s been involved in as a manager.

    2) Guardiola is closing in on a centenary of matches for the Citizens. Sunday’s outing at Wembley will be Guardiola’s 99th in the City dugout with his 100th set to come the following Thursday, again against Arsenal, in the Premier League. He has lost just 13 of his 98 matches so far.

    3) Arsene Wenger has remarkably never won the League Cup but this will be his 13th major final with the Gunners. Having lost previously to Chelsea (2007) and Birmingham, famously in 2011, the Frenchman will be hoping it is third time lucky.

    4) Before losing to arch rivals Tottenham in the league earlier this month, the Gunners were unbeaten in nine matches at Wembley. However, of late, Arsenal have won just twice in the past 10 matches on the road.

    5) Arsenal have won just two of their last 11 Premier League meetings with Manchester City, drawing five and losing four.

    PLAYERS TO WATCH

    KEVIN DE BRUYNE V MESUT OZIL

    DE BRUYNE 

    GAMES – 27

    GOALS – 7

    ASSISTS – 14

    Manchester City’s star of the season has already been singled out as the main threat by Gunners boss Arsene Wenger and the Belgian is the man the north Londoners will fear most. Remarkably, the Belgian’s only trophy with City so far came during the club’s last triumph on the competition in 2016 but he will be relishing the task of out-doing compatriot playmaker Mesut Ozil in the creation stakes. De Bruyne will start from the right of midfield but be given plenty of license from Pep Guardiola to maraud and target left-back Nacho Monreal, and make room for Raheem Sterling.

    MESUT OZIL

    GAMES – 20

    GOALS – 4

    ASSISTS – 7

    Arsenal simply need their chief conductor to pull the strings and hit all the right notes. The German’s big-game presence has perhaps been all too fleeting but he has a stage here, fresh from his bumper new contract, to show his mettle. He should have plenty to target in the form of Alex Iwobi and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ahead of, giving him the option of utilizing their pace with his precision passing. Both players are level pegging in terms of assists and it’s a chance for the more experienced Ozil to show he can be the better of the Belgian on his day.

    LIKELY LINE-UPS

    MANCHESTER CITY – 4-3-3

    BRAVO

    WALKER OTAMENDI LAPORTE DANILO

    D. SILVA FERNANDINHO DE BRUYNE

    SANE AGUERO STERLING

    ARSENAL – 4-2-3-1

    OSPINA

    BELLERIN MUSTAFI KOSCIELNY MONREAL

    XHAKA WILSHERE

    RAMSEY OZIL IWOBI

    AUBAMEYANG

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