Man City beat Arsenal 2-0 to win Carabao Cup final
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- Nico O'Reilly scored two headers in four minutes in the second half, with his opening goal coming after Arsenal goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga dropped a routine cross from Rayan Cherki on the hour mark.
- Pep Guardiola celebrated wildly — sprinting down the touchline and dancing after O'Reilly's second — and called it his record fifth Carabao Cup win, taking him one clear of Sir Alex Ferguson.
- Arsenal were 'desolate' and 'timid' in a passive display, missing the chance to win a first trophy since the 2020 FA Cup; Mikel Arteta's last silverware as Gunners boss was six years ago.
- Kepa Arrizabalaga's selection over first-choice David Raya backfired badly — he was booked for a panicked foul on Jeremy Doku and then gifted City's opener by spilling Cherki's cross.
- James Trafford, picked by Guardiola over Gianluigi Donnarumma, made a stunning triple save in the opening phase to deny Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka twice, effectively deciding the final.
- Manchester City were 'progressive, aggressive' and 'smoother on the ball' after the break, overpowering an Arsenal side 'based on organisation' whose conservative game plan 'came back to haunt them'.
Why it matters: Arsenal still sit nine points clear at the top of the Premier League with the Champions League and FA Cup still in play, but the manner of this defeat — passive, conservative, undermined by a goalkeeping gamble — raises the question of whether Arteta's side has the attacking nerve to finish the job. Guardiola's animated celebration and tactical clarity suggested City can still apply pressure if Arsenal slip, making every remaining league game heavier than the table suggests.
