City beat Arsenal to become League Cup champions

Manchester City won the League Cup final at Wembley on Sunday, beating Arsenal 2-0. Nico O’Reilly scored twice to give the team victory.

City beat Arsenal to become League Cup champions

A big mistake by Arsenal goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga turned the game around. He could not hold Ryan Cherki’s cross in the second half. The ball slipped through his fingers and O’Reilly took the opportunity to head home from close range. Just four minutes later, O’Reilly scored again to seal the win.

It was City’s ninth League Cup title. It was a record fifth in the competition for manager Pep Guardiola.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta had fielded Kepa in place of first-choice goalkeeper David Rayo. But the decision backfired.

Kepa’s relationship with the League Cup is already a painful one. When playing for Chelsea in the 2019 final, he refused to leave the field just before the shootout and failed to save a single shot. He also missed a penalty in the shootout against Liverpool in 2022.

City goalkeeper James Trafford made a brilliant triple save early in the match, saving Kai Havertz’s close-range shot and then Bukayo Saka’s two rebounds.

City came out as a completely different team in the second half. They pressed Arsenal hard and cornered them. Arsenal lost their rhythm after O’Reilly’s first goal. In the second goal, O’Reilly headed the ball into the net from Mateus Nunes’ perfect cross, past Saka.

Guardiola ran to the touchline to celebrate after the goal. He was shown a yellow card for excessive celebration. It was his 15th major trophy at City.

This is a big blow for Arsenal. They have not won a trophy since the 2020 FA Cup. The dream of winning four trophies has now become much more difficult. However, they are still at the top of the Premier League. They will face Southampton in the FA Cup quarter-finals and Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League quarter-finals.