The first major final of the season could mean the last nail in the coffin for one manager but the start of a glittering season for the other

Manchester City and Chelsea will meet in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday at Wembley, just two weeks after Pep Guardiola’s side demolished the Londoners 6-0 at the Etihad.

City are defending champions of the Carabao Cup and will be eager to haunt the Londoners once again, with star striker Sergio Aguero having scored a hat-trick during their most recent meeting in Manchester.

Maurizio Sarri’s future at Stamford Bridge has been thrown in jeopardy ever since the 6-0 Premier League thumping but revenge against Man City in the final and lifting silverware could, for the time being, secure his job.

Game	Chelsea vs Man City
Date	Sunday, February 24
Time	4:30pm GMT / 11:30am ET

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In the United States (US), the game can be watched live on ESPN+.

US TV channel	Online stream
N/A	ESPN+

In the United Kingdom (UK), the game can be watched live on Sky Sports and livestreamed on Sky GO Extra.

UK TV channel	Online stream
Sky Sports Main Event	Sky GO Extra

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Position	Chelsea players
Goalkeepers	Kepa, Caballero, Bulka
Defenders	Azpilicueta, Zappacosta, Rudiger, Luiz, Christensen, Ampadu, Emerson
Midfielders	Jorginho, Kante, Barkley, Kovacic
Forwards	Willian, Pedro, Hazard, Giroud, Hudson-Odoi, Higuain

Kepa Arrizabalaga is fit enough to start.

Pedro and Davide Zappacosta were also doubts for the final but the Spaniard starts, while Callum Hudson-Odoi has to make do with a spot on the bench after his glittering form against Malmo in the Europa League.

Despite being the recipient of boos by Chelsea fans, Jorginho starts in midfield with Eden Hazard leading the line.

Chelsea XI: Kepa; Azpilicueta, Rudiger, Luiz, Emerson; Kante, Jorginho, Barkley; Willian, Pedro, Hazard.

Subs: Caballero, Christensen, Kovacic, Loftus-Cheek, Hudson-Odoi, Giroud, Higuain.

Position	Man City players
Goalkeepers	Ederson, Grimshaw, Muric
Defenders	Walker, Danilo, Stones, Laporte, Otamendi, Sandler, Zinchenko, Kompany
Midfielders	Sterling, Gundogan, De Bruyne, Sane, B. Silva, D. Silva, Fernandinho, Mahrez, Foden
Forwards	Aguero, Jesus

Back-up goalkeeper Arijanet Muric has to sit behind Ederson again, while Gabriel Jesus, John Stones and Benjamin Mendy are all missing.

The likes of Riyad Mahrez, Ilkay Gundogan and Leroy Sane are options for Guardiola on the bench.

Man City XI: Ederson, Zinchenko, Laporte, Otamendi, Walker, Fernandinho, Silva, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Sterling, Aguero.

Subs: Muric, Danilo, Kompany, Gundogan, Sane, Mahrez, Foden.

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Man City are priced at odds of winning 4/7 according to  bet 365 , while a draw during regular time is available at 18/5. A win for Chelsea is priced at 19/4.

Click here to see all of bet 365’s offers for the game, including goalscoring markets, correct score predictions and more.

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Though Man City’s 6-0 annihilation of Chelsea has been the low point of Sarri’s reign – coming just weeks after a shock 4-0 loss to Bournemouth and a 2-0 defeat by Arsenal – it was the Londoners who put an end to Guardiola’s unbeaten Premier League season with a 2-0 victory in December.

Sarri will be counting on his team for a repeat of the earlier league performance as he seeks to assert his future at Stamford Bridge. The Blues will be buoyed by strong recent performances against Malmo in the Europa League, though a 2-0 loss to Manchester United in the FA Cup barely a week ago will no doubt be fresh in their minds.

For Guardiola, lifting the Carabao Cup trophy could be the start of an epic pursuit of the quadruple, with his Man City side still strong challengers in the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup.

Man City defeated Arsenal 3-0 in the Carabao Cup final a year ago, and have no weakness in buckling under pressure in cup competitions so far this season.

Aguero equalled Alan Shearer’s record of most Premier League hat-tricks scored (11) when he last faced Chelsea and has been in incredible form in front of goal over the course of the current campaign.

Though he has been tipped to be given the sack as Chelsea manager, the Italian’s record has seen him win 28 of his first 43 games in charge – one more than Guardiola managed at the Etihad in his debut campaign.

“Because he was lucky,” Sarri said about the inconsistent treatment received between himself and Guardiola. “I don’t know. You have to ask the club. You have to ask both, Manchester City and Chelsea. But I don’t know if I am under pressure from my club or from you.

“I don’t know at the moment. I think that, if you choose Guardiola, you have to wait because the club knows very well that Guardiola needs time. It’s not really very easy for an English team to play that kind of football, so it’s normal.”

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