17:30 Man City vs Arsenal - Prediction 4.2
Current Form * Arsenal have won only 4 of their last 12 matches in all competitions, losing 5 and drawing 3 * Man City have won 6 of their last 8 matches but suffered a shock 1.0 loss at Wigan in their most recent fixture in the FA Cup * Arsenal have seen BTTS in 11 of their last 13 matches in all competitions * 10 of those 11 matches also saw over 2.5 goals scored * Man City have seen BTTS in 8 of their last 12 matches in all competitions * 7 of those 8 matches also saw over 2.5 goals scored * Arsenal have conceded 15 goals in their last 10 matches, keeping only 2 clean sheets in the process Past Meetings * 8 of the last 9 meetings saw BTTTS * 7 of those 8 matches also saw over 2.5 goals scored * 35 goals have been scored in the last 10 meetings between these two sides * Arsenal have won 5 (1 AET), drawn 3 and lost only 2 of their last 10 meetings against Man City * Arsenal have scored at least 1 goal in their last 13 matches against Man City League Cup Final History * 6 of the last 8 finals have seen BTTS * Man City have won 2 of the last 4 League Cups * Arsenal have not won the League Cup since 1993 * An average of 3.4 goals have been scored in the final since 2005 Final Verdict The first trophy of the season is up for grabs this Sunday tea-time and we should be in for a thrilling occasion as Man City and Arsenal go head to head in front of 90000 supporters at Wembley Stadium in the final of a competition that has produced plenty of drama in recent years. City come into this final as pretty clear favourites @8/13 odds on but Arsenal do have a really good record against the Citizens in the past few seasons and for that reason, I expect a really competitive match with plenty of goals at both ends and a lot of attacking football from two teams that love to go forward in numbers. In fact, Arsenal have only lost 2 of their last 10 matches against Man City and while they are huge underdogs here, priced @9/2 to win in normal time, the Gunners can take heart from that record and I fully expect Arsene Wenger's side to deliver a competitive performance against the runaway Premier League leaders. For Wenger, you would have to say that this could easily be his last final as an Arsenal manager and you certainly wouldn't begrudge the English game's longest-serving gaffer a final piece of silverware in what really should be his last year at the helm. Having never won this competition, perhaps a victory here would give the great Frenchman every reason to think about calling time on what has been a wonderful career as Gunners boss. Still, with another year on his contract, a Wenger departure would be considered a surprise, even if this Arsenal side continues to slide further and further from the glory achieved in the early part of the century. Arsenal will certainly require their big game players to produce when it matters on Sunday and you would expect the likes of Ozil, Aubameyang and Wilshere to have a big influence on the outcome of this football match. If those players and the other 8 starters can give Arsenal a 9 out of 10 performance, then they could very well claim the scalp of City, having managed 5 wins over the Manchester side in their last 10 meetings but it is a lot to ask for a team that is not in great form, losing 5 of their last 12 matches in all competitions. In contrast, their opponents here have had a truly outstanding season so far having won 35 of their last 40 matches (in all competitions, including AET) while Pep Guardiola will certainly be confident of another trophy having won six of the seven major finals he has been involved in as a manager in his career thus far and having won them by an aggregate score of 14-3, this is a man that knows how to win when it comes to the big occasion or indeed, most occasions. Ultimately, you have to expect that City will have too much in the tank for an Arsenal side that really has struggled to find their best form this season but there are no guarantees in this type of game, and especially not in a final, so I expect a close and exciting contest with BTTS @8/15 very likely in an event that has all the makings of a potential classic. With so many talented players likely to start in the attacking positions for both sides, we should see plenty of drama with goals at both ends surely inevitable so a high-scoring, City win, but not necessarily in 90 minutes, is the predicted outcome here with BTTS and over 2.5 goals short @4/5 but that's understandable given past meetings between these two sides and the likely attacking nature of this contest. Best Bets BTTS @8/15 - 4 stars BTTS and over 2.5 goals @4/5 - 3 stars Over 3.5 match goals @6/5 - 2 stars Comments are closed.
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