Nico O'Reilly scored twice after a Kepa howler as Manchester City beat Arsenal 2-0 at Wembley. Pep Guardiola now has 19 trophies at City.
Two shots off the woodwork. A goalkeeper error that will haunt Kepa Arrizabalaga for months. And Pep Guardiola lifting trophy number 19 at Manchester City with the calm expression of a man collecting his dry cleaning.
The Carabao Cup final at Wembley on Sunday was supposed to be a proper contest. Arsenal came in chasing an unprecedented quadruple and looking to end a six-year trophy drought that had become the elephant in every conversation about Mikel Arteta's project. City came in as City always comes in — quietly dangerous, patiently confident, and capable of winning big games without necessarily dominating them.
For 58 minutes, nothing happened. Genuinely nothing. Both teams were compact, disciplined, and content to probe without committing. It had the texture of a chess match between two opponents who respect each other too much to make the first risky move.
“Both teams were compact, disciplined, and content to probe without committing.”
Then Kepa happened. Rayan Cherki's cross was a good delivery but not an exceptional one. A routine catch. Instead, Kepa fumbled it, the ball popped loose, and Nico O'Reilly was standing exactly where you'd want a striker to be standing — three yards from goal with an empty net. He headed it in. 1-0.
Key Takeaways
Continue reading to see the full article
→Arsenal: Manchester City beat Arsenal 2-0 at Wembley, with Nico O'Reilly scoring twice after a goalkeeping error from Kepa Arrizabalaga to give Pep Guardiola his 19th trophy at City.
→Man City: Manchester City beat Arsenal 2-0 at Wembley, with Nico O'Reilly scoring twice after a goalkeeping error from Kepa Arrizabalaga to give Pep Guardiola his 19th trophy at City.
→Football: Manchester City beat Arsenal 2-0 at Wembley, with Nico O'Reilly scoring twice after a goalkeeping error from Kepa Arrizabalaga to give Pep Guardiola his 19th trophy at City.
→Carabao Cup: Manchester City beat Arsenal 2-0 at Wembley, with Nico O'Reilly scoring twice after a goalkeeping error from Kepa Arrizabalaga to give Pep Guardiola his 19th trophy at City.
Four minutes later, O'Reilly doubled it. Matheus Nunes delivered the cross this time, and the young forward finished with the composure of someone who'd been scoring goals at Wembley for a decade rather than a player who most casual fans had to Google during the team sheet announcement.
Arsenal responded. Riccardo Calafiori struck the post. Gabriel Jesus hit the crossbar. The Gunners generated enough late chances to salvage a draw in a world where footballs are slightly rounder. But they didn't go in, and City saw out the game with a defensive display that reminded everyone that Guardiola's teams know how to protect a lead when it matters.
Advertisement
Arteta told reporters after the final that the result was "painful in every way possible," but stopped short of blaming the officiating or the goalkeeper. "We created enough to win. We didn't convert. That's on us." It was the honest answer. It was also the right one.
For Arsenal, the quadruple dream died at Wembley. For Guardiola, it was Tuesday. Well, Sunday. But the gap between these two clubs — in terms of composure in the biggest moments — was visible again, and closing it remains Arteta's defining challenge.
Manchester City beat Arsenal 2-0 at Wembley, with Nico O'Reilly scoring twice after a goalkeeping error from Kepa Arrizabalaga to give Pep Guardiola his 19th trophy at City.
What happened to Kepa in the Carabao Cup final?
Kepa fumbled a routine catch from a cross in the 58th minute, allowing Nico O'Reilly to head the loose ball into an empty net for the opening goal.
