Is a day of first and lasts set for Wembley?
Pep Guardiola has the chance win his first piece of English silverware today.
Arsene Wenger, on the other hand, has what might conceivably be his last.
If runaway Premier League leaders Manchester City beat Arsenal in the Carabao Cup Final, the Guardiola era will finally have its first tangible reward.
If the Gunners win, though, it would be the 11th major trophy of the Frenchman’s 22 years at the club, and there’s a strong possibility that he won’t win another one in England.
In Guardiola’s first season at the Etihad, the Catalan finished 15 points behind title-winners Chelsea, went out in the Round of 16 in the Champions League and the fourth round of the League Cup, then lost to today’s opponents in the semi-final of the FA Cup.
But if there were any doubts about him not being all he was cracked up to be, they’ve been completely eradicated since last summer.
City have lost just once in 27 Premier League games, and have an astonishing goal difference of 59 – 79 for and 20 against.
They are on track to break the records for most points, most goals and the biggest margin of victory between the Champions and the second-placed team.
Yet, a cup tie is, by definition, a one-off game and anything can happen, as City found out at Wigan last Monday night.
Wenger still has another year on his contract, but this could be his final season because the club don’t want a repeat of last year’s situation when he wound down his deal and only re-signed at the last minute.
Even if he does go full term, he might never be one win from an English trophy ever again.
He hasn’t won the League for 14 years. But Wenger has made a specialism of lifting domestic cups, having won three of the last four FA Cups and a record seven in all.
Considering his longevity, it’s remarkable that the League Cup has eluded him.
When he arrived in 1996 he was credited with transforming the club’s culture and having a major influence on the English game, in general.
Twenty-odd years on, Guardiola may yet be responsible for a similar sort of revolution in this country because if he shows that free-flowing, attacking football can put trophies on the shelf, others may follow suit.
The two men may be a generation apart, but they are fellow pioneers and kindred spirits when it comes to their footballing philosophies.
They play the game the right way and because of that you would never begrudge either a victory.
Pep is certain to eventually lift his first English trophy, while I suspect that Arsene probably won’t be in this position again.
For that reason alone, I hope it’s Wenger’s day today.