The first trophy of the English domestic season is up for grabs on Sunday as Aston Villa take on Manchester City in the Carabao Cup Final.
Here’s what you need to know ahead of the weekend’s big match…
Possible starting XIs
Aston Villa: Nyland; Engels, Mings, Hause; Guilbert, Hourihane, Nakamba, Targett; El Ghazi, Samatta, Grealish.
Man City: Bravo; Walker, Fernandinho, Otamendi, Mendy; De Bruyne, Rodri, D. Silva; B. Silva, Aguero, Sterling.
Expert view: Alan Smith
“On paper, it looks like a cakewalk. Manchester City showed their class on Wednesday to beat Real Madrid.
“For Aston Villa manager Dean Smith, the spectacle must have made him feel slightly queasy. I mean, nobody wants to get humiliated in front of a watching nation. Ask Watford. That 6-0 thrashing by City in last season’s FA Cup Final probably still stings.
“To perhaps make matters worse for Villa, these cup competitions gain added importance for Pep Guardiola now that the title is out of reach.
“Another treble is possible, even if the Carabao Cup lies third on the list of priorities.
“As for Villa, recent performances and results don’t bode well at all. Three League defeats on the trot leave them in a perilous position. And I’m sure everyone at the club would swap victory at Wembley with Premier League survival. They only have to look across town for some sort of confirmation.”
Read Alan Smith’s Carabao Cup Final preview in full here.
Match prediction
Where to watch the match
TV Channel: Coverage starts at 2.30pm GMT on Sky Sports Football, providing two-hours of build-up before kick-off at 4.30pm. Sky Sports is available via Now TV with a day pass for £9.99.
Live stream: Sky Sports subscribers can stream the match online via SkyGo and the SkyGo app, with a mobile month pass available for £5.99.
Radio: You can listen to match on BBC Radio Five Live from 4pm, or from 1pm on talkSPORT.
Text commentary: You can follow the game live on Sunday with Standard Sport’s match blog.
Match highlights
Match highlights will not be broadcast on terrestrial TV, but you will be able to watch them for free on Sky Sports’ Official Youtube channel.
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