The iconic silverware of the Carabao Cup will be raised at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, March 22, 2026, with the football world’s attention fixed on which club will claim the season’s first major domestic trophy.
The path to the final is set, with Manchester City and Arsenal holding the advantage after tense semi-final first legs, but with both ties still poised for dramatic conclusions in early February.
The semi-final stage delivered compelling drama, setting the stage for a prestigious final. At Stamford Bridge, Arsenal secured a narrow 3-2 victory over Chelsea in a match filled with momentum shifts.
Goals from Ben White, Viktor Gyokeres, and Martin Zubimendi gave the Gunners control, only for Chelsea substitute Alejandro Garnacho to score twice and ensure the tie remains finely balanced. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta acknowledged the complex emotions after the match, stating, “We had the feeling at the end… that we had two massive chances to score the fourth one. The result would have been very different”.
His Chelsea counterpart, Liam Rosenior, focused on the fight shown by his squad, saying, “I asked for energy, fight, they didn’t give up, we’re still in the tie”.
In the other semi-final, Manchester City took a commanding 2-0 lead to St. James’ Park against the defending champions, Newcastle United. The match was not without controversy, as a lengthy VAR review disallowed a Newcastle goal that would have changed the complexion of the tie.
City manager Pep Guardiola suggested the delay galvanized his team, leading to a late second goal. “I think my players were angry,” Guardiola said. “Maybe it [the VAR delay] helped us to be that way… it made us stronger”.
Newcastle’s Eddie Howe admitted his team faces a monumental challenge, noting, “I think we have left ourselves a mountain to climb in the second leg”.
While the kick-off time for the March 22nd final is yet to be officially confirmed, it is expected to follow the tradition of a late afternoon start, similar to last season’s 4:30 p.m. GMT kick-off. The final will conclude a competition that began in July 2025 with a preliminary round and involved all 92 Premier League and EFL clubs.
Defending champions Newcastle United, who received a bye to the third round due to European commitments, now face a steep uphill battle to return to Wembley and retain the trophy they won by beating Liverpool last season.
With the semi-final second legs scheduled for February 3rd and 4th, the football world now looks ahead to see which two clubs will earn the right to contest the final under the Wembley arch.