Batman and Robin, strawberries and cream, Bonnie and Clyde... all are among the greatest duos in history, but none go together as well as Manchester City and the Carabao Cup.
Back in April, City beat Tottenham Hotspur in the final of the competition to lift the trophy for the fourth consecutive season.
Having won six of the last eight editions of English football's secondary domestic cup, it's fair to say that City take the competition rather more seriously than most. But why?
Ready for the run-in
If we're being honest, at the start of the season, winning the Carabao Cup is not high on City's to-do list. Pep Guardiola has in the past said as much, admitting that the competition is the fourth most important, behind the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup.
But the advantage that the Carabao Cup has over its more illustrious siblings is the time of year its final takes place. Usually held in late February or early March (last season's April date an exception after the campaign's kick-off was delayed because of coronavirus), it offers a chance for City and Guardiola to get a trophy on the board early doors before the end-of-season run-in begins.
It's a chance for Guardiola's squad to boost morale on and off the pitch, an opportunity to scratch the itch of needing to win silverware and head into the final stages of the other three competitions that little bit more relaxed and confident.
Guardiola clearly sees the Carabao Cup as a springboard that his side would be foolish not to take advantage of. After defeating Spurs, he urged his players to channel the momentum from the win to seal "the most important title of the season". City did indeed go on to lift a fifth Premier League title shortly after.
Simply put, in a similar way to the Community Shield, the Carabao Cup is a fairly low-risk way of picking up a trophy - so why wouldn't City bother?
Minutes for fringe players
Many City fans and neutrals alike are often surprised by Guardiola's team selections for Carabao Cup games for two reasons.
First of all, he tends to pick strong sides, and secondly, he doesn't tend to field that many academy players in the so-called 'dead rubbers'.
There's a simple reason for this - City's squad is so big and stacked with talent that cup games are essential for keeping fringe players happy and match-sharp.
In the title run-in and Champions League knockout stages last season, Pep kept a fairly settled side. But in the Carabao Cup ties, the guys who struggled to break into the starting XI got their chance to stay sharp and ready in the event of injuries or suspensions.
Earlier in the season when Kyle Walker found himself dropped in favour of Joao Cancelo, the England international found solace in the Carabao Cup. The minutes kept him ticking over and when he got his chance back in the league starting XI he looked better than he'd ever done before.
Going deep in the competition and affording fringe players game-time also keeps squad morale healthy. Last season, Aymeric Laporte found no way to displace either John Stones or Ruben Dias in Guardiola's preferred line-up in the Premier League, but a regular slate of games in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup - including a match-winning performance in the Carabao Cup final - kept him active. A few months down the line and he is proving to be one of City's most important players.
Successful football teams are about a lot more than just winning games. Without a happy squad, you can kiss goodbye to Premier League or Champions League aspirations - the Carabao Cup plays a huge role.
City fans love it
At the end of the day, football should be about the fans - and who doesn't love a day out at Wembley Stadium?
With no FA Cup or Champions League latter stages to think about and no crucial Premier League fixtures to get tickets for, a Carabao Cup final offers a fairly affordable opportunity to watch City play in a showpiece event, potentially win some silverware and just have a laugh with friends and family.
In my lifetime I've seen City win the Premier League five times, win the FA Cup twice and reach the final of the Champions League for the first time ever. But some of the City memories I hold dearest involve the Carabao Cup.
Whether it's Yaya Toure and Samir Nasri scoring ridiculous goals in the 2014 final, Willy Caballero saving three penalties in 2016 to go from villain to hero or Phil Foden putting in a man of the match performance in the 2020 final, City always make memories in the Carabao Cup.
For that reason, a trip down to London to see City play in a Carabao Cup final is one of the days of the year I look forward to most. I for one hope that there are many more to come.
Do you love the Carabao Cup? Follow our new City Fan Brands Writer Alex Brotherton on Twitter to get involved in the discussion and give us your thoughts in the comments section below.
