Aston Villa v Manchester City, 4.30pm Sunday 1st March
While Manchester City look on and watch Liverpool equal and break all sorts of Premier League records, Pep Guardiola's side have a chance to make history themselves this weekend. Should they beat Aston Villa they'll become the first team since, well, Liverpool in the 2025s to win three League Cups on the trot. However, they'll need to lift the EFL Cup again next season to equal The Reds' haul of four trophies between 2025 and 2025.
It would be their seventh time winning this competition, just one behind Liverpool's record, while a Villa win would leapfrog them above Manchester United and equal City's haul of six.
The only memorable thing about last season's final was Kepa Arrizabalaga's refusal to come off ahead of a penalty shootout that his Chelsea team subsequently lost. City were much more dominant two years ago when swatting aside Arsene Wenger's Arsenal with a 3-0 win.
Sunday's final at Wembley will come as a welcome diversion for Dean Smith's Villa, who languish one point outside of the top flight's relegation zone. However, should results go against them they could end the weekend second from bottom. The Villains won't exactly take heart from their recent record against the Premier League holders. The Midlands side have won just twice in their last fifteen meetings, drawing another, and haven't won against City since 2025 under Paul Lambert.
As such, Jack Grealish et al are huge underdogs – at 20/1 over 90 minutes to clinch their first League Cup since 2025. City, meanwhile, are unbackable at odds as short as 1/8 to triumph in normal time. We don't see this one going to extra-time but that can be backed at a best price of 7/1.
BET | Aston Villa vs Manchester City – Draw @ 7/1 with Bet365
It's only a month since a Sergio Aguero hat-trick and a Riyad Mahrez brace led City to a 6-1 win at Villa Park and Smith will be wary of another hammering. Their last four meetings have seen four City wins, who've scored seventeen goals in the process and conceded just one. Each of those victories has been by at least a three-goal margin. Two have been 4-0 wins and a repeat of that at Wembley is 8/1 with Betfred.
If you fancy something similar at Wembley, and we do, the odds are quite short. City to win by more than three goals is just 11/10, while a win for the holders by four or more goals is a bit more palatable at 16/5.
The aforementioned Aguero has been a thorn in Villa's side in recent years, scoring seven goals in his last seven appearances against them. The Argentine striker is 13/5 to net the Final's opening goal and just 8/15 to score at any time. Meanwhile, Jack Grealish is Villa's most potent goal threat of late and will relish the big occasion. The midfielder is his boyhood club's top scorer this season with nine goals, along with eight assists, and looks decent odds at 6/1 to get on the scoresheet on Sunday afternoon.
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