Gabriel Saliba from Arsenal in a duel with Erling Haaland in the Arsenal- Manchester City derby.
After a full season of league football and the second English domestic cup—which, for some teams, began back in August—it is time for the first major final at Wembley Stadium, where Manchester City F.C. and Arsenal F.C. will face each other.
This traditional showpiece final, played at Wembley—the home of the England national football team—has for years delivered major finals on a true neutral ground.
In this year’s final, we will realistically watch the current leaders of the Premier League ,Arsenal, take on Manchester City, who have spent most of the season as the second force in England. However, following their elimination from the UEFA Champions League by Real Madrid C.F., City arrive in a difficult situation—lacking form, confidence, and internal stability. That is why they are in a tough situation!
Arsenal holds a huge advantage. Straightforward finals ahead.
When analyzing the key aspect of this final—the battle for the first trophy of the season—it is evident that Arsenal approach this match calmly, composed, and without panic. They are consistent, structured, and doing enough to win games.
Manchester City, in contrast, look unstable and is highly shaken. They have already lost the most important particles, and here they can lose more. They can lose everything on Sunday, literally everything. Pep Guardiola has struggled with decision-making, often selecting the wrong profiles for key moments. Over the past weeks, he chose the worst. His choices lack system in key games. It was lethargy, the desires and pure selection by the manager whose name is Josep Guardiola.
Guardiola’s mistakes make zero sense. He mistakes basic staff. His starting eleven does not have any logic behind.
There are repeated tactical decisions that are questionable. When attacking firepower is needed, certain players are left out, such as Cherki and Doku, while opportunities are given to Lewis and Bernardo Silva, who is a midfielder in the Premier League but is being used in the final third instead of Cherki, who is a natural finisher and right winger. At the same time, everything is focused on Semenyo, who has cost City the most in the Premier League.
“When long-range shooting is required, players who lack that quality are chosen, while Semenyo—who is not precise—takes those shots. He has wasted key chances and important balls in crucial moments, both in the Premier League and the Champions League.”
Manchester City were already vulnerable defensively, but they had strong attacking form with Jérémy Doku and Rayan Cherki in the team. However, once Antoine Semenyo was introduced, the team lost its balance and overall cohesion. They scored fewer goals, and Semenyo created offensive lethargy.
Pep Guardiola effectively moved away from Jérémy Doku following the arrival of Antoine Semenyo, and that decision created a structural issue the team could not resolve.
Doku had been performing at a very high level, delivering dynamic and impressive football, but he was sidelined due to the January signing. That shift disrupted the attacking balance and removed one of Manchester City F.C.’s most effective offensive weapons.
Their attacking rhythm declined, they stopped scoring consistently, and the entire structure became insecure. As a result, Erling Haaland is now clearly frustrated with the situation and has agility issues.
There was no real justification for signing a winger from Bournemouth in January. The team was performing significantly better before that addition.
You strengthen the positions you need for injury, or you don’t. You don’t need a chance system for one player. He covers many offensive positions and is not good enough for any of them.
Bernardo Silva, for example, is technically outstanding— the best player in the league for me—but he lacks pace and a consistent goal-scoring presence. He lacks the position to be a perfect winger; the player is a midfielder. He is fundamentally a midfielder, not a natural winger, and not the type of player who thrives in wide, high-intensity isolation roles.
There, he is not the best.
Pep Guardiola needs to recognise this and doesn’t get it. In certain tactical contexts, Bernardo Silva is a perfect fit; in others, he becomes a poor solution. The issue is that these distinctions are not being properly addressed.
This is Guardiola’s fundamental mistake, since Ryan Cherki was fit. Pep Guardiola does not recognise the positions on the pitch, but has a great PR and coverage by the “media”.
These kinds of decisions have directly contributed to a season, and the team gained a highly unfavourable season. Guardiola’s late chance is on Sunday!
Further Gaudiola decisions that don’t make any sense
The use of Nico O’Reilly in advanced positions highlights deeper structural issues. While he can contribute in transitions and quick passing sequences, he is not suited to attacking roles where direct threat, finishing, and creativity are required—especially compared to players like Jérémy Doku or Rayan Cherki.
Forcing such profiles into decisive attacking roles has limited City’s offensive effectiveness. The question remains: why are these tactical elementary mistakes in crucial matches for an elite manager?
Why do the Manchester City team, staff, and supporters not have a better manager? Do they deserve a better manager, as a collective, club, players, and fans?
Arsenal’s Structure is much more competitive, and they are huge favourites!
Arsenal, under Mikel Arteta, is compact, disciplined, and physically dominant. Their pressing system is intense, making it difficult for opponents to build play and maintain possession. They press with midfield; the way they broke Leverkusen tactically in the Champions League was a true work of art, particularly in the opening stages of matches.
Manchester City’s defensive fragility, on the other hand, has been evident all season. It is nothing new! This was exposed again in their matches against Real Madrid, where direct runs and intensity completely disrupted their structure.
Declan Rice – The Decisive Factor- The artist
Declan Rice is not only Arsenal’s best player but the most important figure in their system. His influence in midfield, combined with his delivery from set pieces—especially corners—makes Arsenal extremely dangerous.
He is the engine, the balance, and the tactical anchor of this team.
Final Verdict
Everything points toward one outcome.
Arsenal are stable, confident, and tactically clear. Manchester City are inconsistent, structurally vulnerable, and Guardiola does not have the right solutions on the pitch.
When Guardiola is forced to react and rebuild during matches, it becomes extremely difficult for Manchester City to get control over Arsenal in a football match.
Premier League Analysis special prediction of the final of the FA Cup on Sunday!
Because of that, Arsenal are in a stronger position and are expected to defeat Manchester City and win the English League Cup.
Arsenal win their first major trophy!
After an entire season of progress, this is the moment when Arsenal—and the red side of London—are ready to celebrate the first major trophy of their new era. Arsenal will finally start to celebrate and benefit from the result of the season, and such a great campaign with progressive football and a great manager, Mikel Arteta.
The level and consistency of Decan Rice and its importance for Arsenal are outstanding. Arsenal midfielder is a top-class player.
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