Arsenal holds a major advantage ahead of the final against Man City

The EFL's choice to keep the existing regulations means Man City cannot use Marc Guehi in the Carabao Cup final, granting Arsenal a notable advantage.

Arsenal receives a crucial boost ahead of the 2026 Carabao Cup finalwhen the English Football League (EFL) officially rejected Manchester City's proposal to amend the rules concerning defender Marc Guehi. This ruling means Pep Guardiola's team will be unable to deploy their expensive signing in the showdown with the "Gunners" at Wembley.

Marc Guehi transferred to Man City from Crystal Palace on January 19 for around £20 million, despite having only half a season left on his contract. However, the deal was completed after Man City had already played and won the first leg of the League Cup semi-final against Newcastle 2-0. According to current EFL regulations, a player is not permitted to represent two different clubs in the competition if the transfer occurs after the semi-final first leg.

Therefore, Guehi was not registered for the second leg, which Man City won 3-1 at Etihad, securing a 5-1 aggregate victory to reach the final. Ahead of the important match against Arsenal on March 22, Pep Guardiola publicly urged the EFL to reconsider the rules to allow Guehi to participate.

“I don’t understand why he is not allowed to play in the final. We spent a lot of money on this player but can’t use him because of a strange rule. It doesn’t make sense,” Pep Guardiola expressed his frustration. He also compared Guehi’s situation to that of Antoine Semenyo, who joined Man City earlier, was eligible to play, and even scored in the semi-final.

Nevertheless, according to Standard Sport, the EFL has made a final decision: there will be no changes to the 2025/26 season rules. This means Guehi will definitely be sidelined at Wembley, giving a considerable advantage to Arsenal, who currently lead the Premier League.

The EFL emphasized that while this season’s rules allow players to appear for two clubs in the League Cup, the transfer must be completed before the semi-final first leg or before the transfer window closes. Guehi’s case does not meet these criteria.

With Man City’s defense struggling due to injuries to John Stones and Josko Gvardiol,Pep Guardiola is forced to rely on the potential return of Ruben Dias. The Portuguese center-back is likely to make his comeback in the Premier League this weekend, preparing for the final against Arsenal.

Guehi’s absence is clearly a significant loss for Man City and opens a substantial opportunity for Arsenal to claim the League Cup title at Wembley.