In this Carabao Cup final, Manchester City extinguished Arsenal’s hopes with a controlled and composed performance. The Gunners never truly got into the game and let a first piece of silverware slip away.
Arsenal came into the final as favorites. They were riding a wave of three consecutive Premier League wins and held a nine-point lead over their closest challenger. Meanwhile, the mood at Manchester City was far less positive, with back-to-back draws allowing Arsenal to pull away, not to mention a disappointing elimination against Real Madrid. The balance of power seemed clear.
Despite a relatively even start, Arsenal managed to create a few chances, including a huge one for Kai Havertz, but Trafford stood firm. Arsenal tried to use long balls to exploit the lack of chemistry between Khusanov and Aké in City’s defense. Gyokeres worked tirelessly up front, but too often he was not given the service needed to make a real impact. Without the creativity of Odegaard or Eze, Arsenal’s attacking play lacked the technical quality required to truly trouble Manchester City.
Set up in a 4-3-3, Manchester City allowed their creative players freedom to unlock the game. Semenyo’s bursts of pace caused serious problems for Ben White, who was repeatedly pushed back, and on one occasion Haaland came close to scoring.
By halftime, Arsenal looked increasingly on the back foot, while City began to grow into the game. In the second half, the focus shifted to Kepa. Late reacting to a long ball that reached Doku, the Spanish goalkeeper conceded a needless free kick. Moments later, he made a costly error. Failing to deal with a cross, he spilled the ball straight into the path of O’Reilly, who made no mistake in opening the scoring.
The City midfielder was outstanding throughout, clean and efficient in everything he did, reflecting his excellent season. He capped it off with a brace in the final, as the Norwegian also added two goals to seal the victory.
Manchester City wore Arsenal down and capitalized on the physical weaknesses of a team that has struggled to close out matches. Late-game issues seen against Brentford, Wolverhampton, and even Chelsea should have served as warnings for Arteta. Instead, Arsenal was punished for those same flaws—at the worst possible moment.