Manchester City wins the Carabao Cup while Arsenal’s quadruple dream collapses

The local boy, with a Manchester postcode on his arm, keeps Pep Guardiola’s fire alive. Ending Arsenal’s quadruple dreams as quickly as they had become a realistic possibility.

Nico O’Reilly is another of Guardiola’s inventions: an attacking player deployed as a full-back. He has played in six positions this season alone, but he is not a goalscorer.

The most unlikely of O’Reilly’s braces was the result of a devastating second-half Manchester City performance that not even one of the best defensive units in Premier League history could contain.
Arsenal still have a lot to play for this season, so they won’t be too disheartened to lose a Carabao Cup final. The most worrying thing is who they lost to and the galvanizing effect it could have on a team that has made long winning streaks its calling card over the years.

Just like at the Bernabeu a few weeks ago, Guardiola’s 4-2-4 left City too open in the opening exchanges.
A stunning triple save from James Trafford – who had his chance again in the Carabao Cup – kept the Gunners at bay early on, following a move that cut through the center of City’s vulnerable rearguard.

Arsenal, however, failed to muster the final pass for the remainder of the opening period. The only threat comes, of course, from the scenes. “Arsenal boring, boring” boomed from City at Wembley. In the first half, Jeremy Doku, who was hardly much of a threat, completed three dribbles on his own, two more than the entire Arsenal team.

Erling Haaland, without a career goal in a final, headed City’s best chance of the first half. Slowly but surely Guardiola’s team understood how this exhausting challenge would be won, focusing on caution.
Without Ruben Dias at centre-back, City went into the second half with a mentality similar to that of the great Brazilian teams of the past: the best form of defense is to attack, constantly.
For 20 minutes after the break, it was all City, with waves of Azzurri efforts proving too much even for Arsenal’s almost impenetrable defensive strength.
The biggest surprise was the identity of that winner. A day after he became legally allowed to drink in the United States, two headers from a left-back stopped Arsenal in their pursuit of a quadruple chase.

It was a little rude to think that Kepa Arrizabalaga, in the Arsenal goal, wouldn’t have much say in the outcome. The man who famously refused to be replaced by Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri in 2019 took his life into his own hands when he brought down Doku outside the penalty area, receiving a yellow card.

Not having finished, Kepa let Rayan Cherki’s cross slip through his fingers and Arsenal’s quadruple hopes, on the hour mark, with O’Reilly on hand to turn the ball over.
Less than four minutes later, the Mancunian was on hand again to put the match to rest, this time from a pickout from Matheus Nunes.

Somewhat uncharacteristically, Guardiola darted down the touchline to celebrate, like a mechanical hare on a greyhound track. That flame still burning during his 22nd visit to Wembley. Jurgen Klopp has the second most appearances in that period, with five.
Arsenal hit the woodwork twice as they tried to get back into the game: Riccardo Calafiori hit the base of the post and Gabriel Jesus headed the crossbar.

The league leaders, however, got what they deserved. Don’t underestimate this City team on other fronts too.