Carabao Cup Final 2026: Date, Kickoff Time, Location, and How to Watch

The significance of the Carabao Cup is frequently underestimated until crunch time arrives, and only two teams remain in the 2025-26 edition.

For Arsenal, who got through a drama-free but nerve-racking semi-final second leg against Chelsea, winning their first trophy since 2020 would undoubtedly act as significant motivation. The Quadruple is still on, but fans are particularly desperate to end a 22-year wait for a Premier League title.

Manchester City are still best-placed to end Arsenal’s league season, but Pep Guardiola’s side has rarely looked like a team capable of creating a run that would see them overtake the Gunners at the top. Thus, in what could be the Spaniard’s final season as City manager, defeating Arsenal in the Carabao Cup could be his final hurrah in Manchester.

A narrative-laden and intriguing final is in store but there is now a significant gap between the completion of the semifinals and the main event.

Who is Playing in the 2026 Carabao Cup Final?

This season, we have a repeat of the 2018 final, guys. It’s Arsenal versus Manchester City.

Arsenal have returned to the Carabao Cup final for the first time since losing 3-0 to Guardiola’s City in the same match eight years ago—their sixth defeat in the competition’s final. For a while, it appeared that City would never lose this trophy, but they haven’t advanced to the final since their last victory in 2021.

The Gunners defeated Port Vale, Brighton & Hove Albion, Crystal Palace (on penalties), and Chelsea to reach the final. City had a more fortunate journey to the final, defeating Huddersfield Town, Swansea City, Brentford, and Newcastle United.

When is the 2026 Carabao Cup Final?

Six Premier League gameweeks between the semi-finals and the final. So, the top of the Premier League standings could look very different by the time Arsenal face Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, March 22, 2026.

The final begins at 16:30 GMT (11:30 a.m. ET/ 8:30 a.m. PT).

Arsenal were scheduled to face Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League that weekend, while City hosted Crystal Palace. The games will be rescheduled in due course.

Last 5 Winners of the Carabao Cup

Season	Winner	Runner-Up
2024–25	Newcastle	Liverpool
2023–24	Liverpool	Chelsea
2022–23	Man Utd	Newcastle
2021–22	Liverpool	Chelsea
2020–21	Man City	Tottenham

Newcastle, who lost in the semi-finals, enjoyed a fantastic day out last year, winning 2-1 over Liverpool to break a 56-year major trophy drought. The Magpies made it to the final in 2023 under Eddie Howe, but Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United proved too strong.

Liverpool missed the opportunity to go back-to-back when they met Newcastle at Wembley Stadium in 2025, after defeating Chelsea’s so-called “billion pound bottlejobs” in extra time the year before. That was the Reds’ record-breaking tenth League Cup victory and second of the decade. In 2022, they defeated Chelsea after a lengthy penalty shootout.

Manchester City achieved an eerie success in 2021, with a barely-full Wembley Stadium hosting a one-sided final settled by only one goal. Aymeric Laporte scored late to extend Tottenham Hotspur’s painful search for a title by several years.