Manchester City ended Arsenal’s bid for a historic quadruple with a deserved victory in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley Stadium.
Nico O’Reilly scored twice in just four minutes during the second half, as Pep Guardiola’s side dominated the Premier League leaders with an exceptional performance.
It was a bitter day for Arsenal and their manager Mikel Arteta, whose decision to start Kepa in goal in this competition instead of first-choice goalkeeper David Raya backfired spectacularly.
نيكو أوريلي يستغل هفوة فادحة من حارس آرسنال كيبا أريزابالاغا ويفتتح التسجيل لمانشستر سيتي#كأس_الرابطة_الإنجليزية#CarabaoCup pic.twitter.com/DtGuU2guFD
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) March 22, 2026
Kepa gifted City the opening goal just after the hour mark when he fumbled a routine cross from Rayan Cherki, allowing O’Reilly to pounce and head it into the net.
O’Reilly quickly doubled City’s lead, reaching the far post to powerfully head home a cross from Mateus Nunez. It was the goal that sent Guardiola running in celebration along the touchline.
With this victory, Guardiola became the first manager in history to win the League Cup five times, while Arteta and Arsenal will have to wait longer for their first trophy since winning the FA Cup in 2020.
