Ex-Arsenal and Man City star Paul Dickov makes bold Carabao Cup final prediction | Football

Paul Dickov believes Arsenal might take their eye off the ball and hand Manchester City the advantage in Sunday’s Carabao Cup final.

The first piece of silverware of the season will be won on Sunday when Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola’s sides meet at Wembley.

Arsenal beat London rivals Chelsea 4-2 on aggregate to reach the final, while Man City overcame Carabao Cup holders Newcastle United in the semis.

Guardiola is hoping to become the first manager to win the Carabao Cup on five occasions, but there is plenty on the line for Arsenal, too.

The Gunners are seeking to end their trophy drought, having not lifted major silverware since the 2020 FA Cup, while they can also keep alive their hopes of a famous quadruple this season.

Arteta’s side are safely into the quarter-finals of the FA Cup and Champions League, and hold a nine-point advantage over CIty in the Premier League as well.

And Dickov, who came through at Arsenal before establishing himself at City, has a suspicion that the Gunners may prioritise their progress in those competitions over Sunday’s final.

‘I think it’s going to be one hell of a game,’ Dickov told Metro via Online Casino. ‘I think it’s slightly changed over the last couple of weeks.

‘Maybe two weeks ago, people looked at the cup final as a marker to where the Premier League would sort of finish up, with one team getting one up on the other and getting a bit of advantage for the run-in for the Premier League.

‘I think the Arsenal now being 10 points clear, I would say it’s completely out of their hands now for the Premier League.

‘So going into the game Sunday now, I actually feel that there’s more at stake for City than there is for Arsenal.’

Dickov continued: ‘Arsenal possibly have got bigger fish to fry now, looking at the Champions League, getting into the quarter-finals where there’s every chance with the draw that they’ve got that they can go all the way, and obviously being 10 points clear in the Premier League.

‘So I think priority probably lies with Manchester City and Arsenal might not be fully focused, which two weeks ago wouldn’t have saved that, but it just shows you how quickly things can change.’

Both sides met earlier in the year in the league, when Gabriel Martinelli’s superb late goal rescued a point for Arsenal in a 1-1 draw at the Emirates.

Arteta’s side are unbeaten in their last six games in all competitions against City, but Dickov thinks Sunday may well prove different.

‘I think there are going to be goals, I really do think so, he added.

‘Sometimes you build up these finals, the big games, and you’re expecting fireworks and it ends up being a ball nil-nil draw and going to penalties. But I can’t see that at all.

‘I think it’s the two best teams in England by a country mile. If you’ve got to push me, I just think the last couple of weeks, what’s happened with City dropping off, I think they might have that a little bit more about them to go on and win it on Sunday.

‘I’d possibly say it’s more important to them to win on Sunday and get that trophy. Whereas Arsenal, will they have eyes in the Premier League? Will they have eyes in the Champions League going forward? I think that might swing this match in Manchester City’s favour.’

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