Summary

  • Reaction as Manchester City beat Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final, winning 2-0 after two goals from Nico O'Reilly

  • It's a record fifth win in the competition for manager Pep Guardiola, who celebrated jubilantly and described it as 'special'

  • Man City looked like an experienced title-winning team in the second half, with more of the ball and carrying a constant threat

  • Arsenal, meanwhile, struggled to replicate the performances that have seen them move clear of Man City in the Premier League table

  • The result ends their hopes of an unprecedented quadruple but Arsenal still have high hopes and probabilities of winning the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League this season

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Live Reporting

Written by Craig Nelson, Tasnim Chowdhury, Adwaidh Rajan & Tyrese King.

  1. 'Buzzing with today' - O'Reilly

    Arsenal 0-2 Man City

    Manchester City

    Nico O'ReillyGetty Images

    Manchester City goalscorer Nico O'Reilly said winning the Carabao Cup was an "unbelievable feeling".

    "To win a final, to beat this team...we know how good they are. We need to build on it, it will give us good momentum. Buzzing with today.

    "My whole family came down today. They are all in the stand and I know they will be buzzing. I can't wait to celebrate with them.

    "It's a blow for them [Arsenal], and we need to build on it and get some momentum from this game," O'Reilly told BBC Radio Manchester.

    "As soon as the international break is over, we need to kick on and fight hard.

    "We've got a game in hand in the Premier League, we've got to play them [Arsenal] at our place, and we're still in the FA Cup.

    "We need to do everything we can to keep going."

  2. Boyhood Man City fan to Wembley winner - O'Reilly's fairytale continues

    Arsenal 0-2 Man City

    Shamoon Hafez
    BBC Sport Man City reporter at Wembley

    Nico O'Reilly and Rayan Cherki look towards the Manchester City fansGetty Images

    Nico O'Reilly has a tattoo of the Manchester area code etched on his arm and the Englishman will be the pride of the city following his man-of-the-match showing in his side's brilliant Carabao Cup final victory over Arsenal on Sunday.

    Academy product O'Reilly won the game for City with a pair of second-half headers into the goal in front of his club's ecstatic supporters.

    For a boyhood City fan to score twice at Wembley Stadium, this fairytale story has produced an unforgettable moment for the player, manager Pep Guardiola and supporters alike.

    O'Reilly was drafted into the City team last season to aid the squad's injury crisis in defence and has grabbed his opportunity - he now gets his hands on major silverware after delivering a performance that he will never forget.

  4. Right, let's have a deeper dive now into some of the stories of Sunday's Carabao Cup final and the tactical nuances that helped Manchester City finish on top.

    The question is, do we start with the positive - Nico O'Reilly's match-winning performance - or the negative - Kepa Arrizabalaga's costly mistake that handed City their opener?

    A quick show of thumbs please - thumbs up for positive, down for negative...

  5. Get Involved - 'Hunted, definitely'

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    Alec: Hunter or hunted? I’m a United fan. I’m happy to have a points cushion over 5/6th knowing it’s in our control. But we haven’t got City chasing us and we’re not fighting for the title, so it’s a different pressure. But hunted, definitely.

  6. Arsenal 'need to use that fire in the belly' - Arteta

    Arsenal 0-2 Man City

    Arsenal

    More from Mikel Arteta on whether he regretted starting Kepa for the Carabao Cup final: "I made a decision before the game based on what he has done all season, the fact he has played in the competition and helped us be where we are today. It would have been very unfair to choose a different one."

    On Arsenal's unbeaten run ending and the task to go on another winning run: "We had eight amazing months with this team. Today is a disappointment. We need to use that fire in the belly for the next two months to have an incredible season."

    Arsenal boss Mikel ArtetaGetty Images

  7. Get Involved - Arsenal still 'strong favourites for the PL title'

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    Arsenal were a bit negative and were deeper than the Mariana Trench for long periods. Outplayed. However, the fixtures that remain still make them strong favourites for the PL title.

    Adrian

  8. 'Really sad day' for Arsenal - Arteta

    Arsenal 0-2 Man City

    Arsenal

    Mikel ArtetaGetty Images

    For Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, the Premier League title race can wait.

    On Sunday, he was still trying to process how "painful" it was to be tasting defeat at Wembley, after previously winning all eight of his games there as an Arsenal player and manager.

    "We really wanted to lift that trophy today," he said.

    "It was two very different halves, especially the first half when I think we were better than them and had the best two chances of the game.

    "We didn't capitalise on that. Credit to them for what they have done. A really sad day."

  9. The hunter or the hunted?

    Pep Guardiola says he would love to be nine points ahead, like Arsenal.

    Of course, his Manchester City side have a game in hand and welcome the Gunners to Etihad Stadium on 19 April.

    Win both those games and Arsenal's Premier League cushion is suddenly back down to just three points.

    The question is, would Guardiola really rather be the hunter or the hunted?

    Premier League top six

  10. 'We learn for the future' - Guardiola

    Arsenal 0-2 Man City

    Manchester City

    Before we hear from Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, here's a final line from rival boss Pep Guardiola on the Premier League title race:

    "I would love to be nine points in front [like Arsenal] to be honest. It's in their hands.

    "We need time, an incredible break. I am exhausted and after we see step by step.

    "When you start to win and the generation is young you can continue that. I need to know them. I need to know how they behave in certain moments.

    "Today in modern football everyone is so competitive and difficult. I think we learn for the future and hopefully next season we can do better."

    Man City's Erling Haaland and Pep GuardiolaGetty Images

  11. We are going to have a look at the tactical side of things in a moment, Paul, once we have heard from Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta.

    Things to consider include:

    • The impact of Manchester City's homegrown talent Nico O'Reilly
    • A tale of two keepers - why both managers kept faith with their back-up goalkeepers...and how that worked out for them
    • What the stats say - number of shots vs xG
    • Which side dominated possession and used the ball better?

  12. Get Involved - 'A masterclass on stopping Arsenal'

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    Yesterday was a masterclass on stopping Arsenal. If other teams are capable of adopting those tactics then post international break is going to be difficult for Arsenal.

    Paul

  13. How winning a trophy again put a Pep in his step

    Arsenal 0-2 Man City

    Like we said before, Pep Guardiola was celebrating at Wembley on Sunday like it was his first major honour with Manchester City, not his 15th - and that's not counting his three Community Shields and one Uefa Super Cup...

    Pep Guardiola celebrates on the touchlineGetty Images
    Pep Guardiola is congratulated by England manager Thomas TuchelGetty Images
    Pep Guardiola hugs his daughter Maria on the Wembley pitchGetty Images
    Pep Guardiola in the middle of the trophy lift picGetty Images
    Pep Guardiola blows a kiss to fansGetty Images

  14. Guardiola's Man City trophy haul

    Arsenal 0-2 Man City

    Manchester City lift the Carabao CupGetty Images

    "We always found a way to win titles," says Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.

    A master of understatement. We make it 15 major honours in 10 years for the Spaniard since he was appointed as successor to Manuel Pellegrini at the Etihad Stadium in 2016:

    Premier League x 6

    • 2017-18
    • 2018-19
    • 2020-21
    • 2021-22
    • 2022-23
    • 2023-24

    League Cup x 5

    • 2017-18
    • 2018-19
    • 2019-20
    • 2020-21
    • 2025-26

    FA Cup x 2

    • 2018-19
    • 2022-23

    Champions League x 1

    • 2022-23

    Fifa Club World Cup x 1

    • 2023-24

  15. 'Special' Carabao Cup win - Guardiola

    Arsenal 0-2 Man City

    Manchester City

    Pep GuardiolaGetty Images

    Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola told Sky Sports that winning the Carabao Cup was "special because we had a tough two weeks".

    "What [Arsenal] did in the Champions League is so difficult. In the first 15 minutes they suffocated us, we could not breathe. After that we won some second balls and started to play.

    "I'm really pleased because Mikel created a team that is almost unbeatable. A fifth Carabao Cup in 10 years is not bad. Every time you win a title it looks more difficult than in the past. It is really difficult for many reasons.

    "We are still not the team like Arsenal are or like we were in the past. We always found a way to win titles."

  16. Get Involved - 'Guardiola had Arteta in the palm of his hand'

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    There's an enjoyment of seeing Arteta once again crumble on the big stage. He is very similar to Pep when it comes to overthinking decisions. Pep got it right yesterday before a ball was even kicked. He had Arteta in the palm of his hand.

    Robert

  17. Get Involved - 'Boring and not worthy of a win'

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    Kepa's mistake hides the reason for the loss. Lack of determination to win - slow football going backwards and sideways. Boring and not worthy of a win.

    Sue

  18. Get Involved - 'We need our spark back'

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    I can handle us losing but I get so frustrated when we play poorly and contribute to our own downfall. It's happened too often recently and Arteta needs to address this properly and ASAP if we are to win the PL. We need our spark back.

    Matt

  19. Face of thunder/beaming smile - contrasting Carabao cup emotions

    Arsenal 0-2 Man City

    Mikel Arteta with a face of thunder, Pep Guardiola hugs a playerGetty Images

    Emotions expressed by the two managers at the final whistle at Wembley on Sunday could not have been more contrasting.

    Manchester City's Pep Guardiola was as giddy as we have ever seen him, hugging everyone and anyone in sight, while Arsenal's Mikel Arteta had a face of thunder.

    That's not surprising in itself, there is always a winner and a loser in every cup final, but emotions were heightened for both managers for different reasons.

    Guardiola now stands alone as the most successful manager in League Cup history after leading his City side to victory for a fifth time. It also marked a first trophy since the 2023-24 season and the end of a transition in his latest squad.

    Many commentators are questioning just how long the Spaniard will stay at the Etihad - his contract runs until the end of next season, but could this be his last?

    Arteta, meanwhile, has been given longer than most managers in the Premier League to bring success to his club. This was supposed to be the first step towards paying back the patience shown by Arsenal's owners.

    He has three more chances this season to redeem himself, but how much of an impact could this latest setback have on a squad that has finished runners-up in the Premier League for the past three seasons?

  20. Get Involved - Arsenal 'played for a draw, which you can't do in a final'

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    I hope this gives Arsenal the kick they desperately need. They were awful yesterday, and just didn’t show up. We played it like a Premier League game and played for a draw, which you can’t do in a final.

    Jonny