'Carabao Cup Final celebrations will affect title race' Thierry Henry makes bold Arsenal and Manchester City prediction

The Carabao Cup final between Arsenal and Manchester City next month has taken on added significance in the context of the Premier League title race.

Pep Guardiola’s side have closed what seemed to be an unassailable gap and are now firmly involved in a battle with Mikel Arteta’s league leaders.

A chance at silverware could be viewed as something of an interlude, a distraction from the main event, but the outcome could have psychological repercussions for the loser.

Thierry Henry evaluates Carabao Cup Final dynamics

That is certainly the view of Arsenal legend Thierry Henry, who has suggested that City might have to beat his former team at Wembley to stand any chance in the title race.

With weeks of the season remaining after the Carabao Cup final, and City set to host Arsenal in the Premier League in April, there will be plenty on the minds of both sets of players.

“There are a lot of scenarios that you can talk about,” Henry told Betway. “I can say that if Arsenal beat City, we won’t see City in the race any more. Then you can say that if City lose, they will be upset and go on a run.

“First and foremost, a trophy is at stake. We all know that we’ve needed one for a very long time. City are not in need of trophies, but we know that they like to eat. When they’re at the table, they want to be served.

“So it’s huge. It will have an impact on the title race. When you see the other team celebrating, it’s going to affect you.

“If either team wins all their games in the title race, they will win the league, and that’s the race that everyone wanted. Because of that situation, a lot of people are going to watch that final and see if they can spot who is going to collapse.

“But that final is not going to be the end of the season, and these teams could also meet in the Champions League. It’s going to be a battle, and it is huge.”

In FourFourTwo’s view, there will be many intangibles that factor into the eventual winner of the Premier League.

Arsenal’s mentality has been repeatedly called into question: talk of a collective anxiety only increased when they drew with bottom side Wolves, but they responded with an emphatic win in the north London derby.

Beating City would make Arteta’s side more confident, but losing that game could well shift the momentum in their rivals’ favour again.