Manchester City Defeat Arsenal 2-0 to Secure Ninth Carabao Cup Title at Wembley

Manchester City defeated Arsenal 2-0 in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley Stadium on March 22, 2026, with 21-year-old Nico O'Reilly scoring twice in the space of four minutes to hand Pep Guardiola's side their first trophy of the season. O'Reilly, a left-back and midfielder who turned 21 the previous day, headed home in the 60th and 64th minutes to settle a tightly contested final that had been goalless at half-time. The victory ended Arsenal's hopes of an unprecedented quadruple and extended their wait for major silverware since Mikel Arteta's FA Cup triumph in 2020. For Manchester City, it was a welcome consolation after their Champions League elimination in the round of 16 at the hands of Real Madrid earlier this season.

Kepa's costly error opens the floodgates at Wembley The decisive moment of the final arrived when Arsenal reserve goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, starting in the cup competition ahead of first-choice David Raya, dropped a cross from Rayan Cherki on the right flank, allowing O'Reilly to head into an empty net from close range. The error was not entirely without warning — Kepa had already been booked earlier in the second half for holding back Jeremy Doku, a foul that prompted Guardiola to protest loudly from the touchline and call for a red card. Just four minutes after the opener, O'Reilly struck again, heading in a second cross from the right side to double City's lead and send Guardiola sprinting down the touchline in celebration. Arsenal manager Arteta had been preparing to introduce Riccardo Calafiori and Noni Madueke when the second goal arrived, ending any realistic hope of a comeback. Kepa's misery at Wembley cup finals continued, according to The Guardian, which noted the Spaniard's troubled history at the stadium. The performance raised immediate questions about Arsenal's decision to rely on the reserve goalkeeper in a major final.

Trafford's triple save kept City alive in the first half The match had been far from straightforward for City before O'Reilly's intervention. Arsenal created the clearest chance of the first half in the seventh minute, when Martín Zubimendi played Kai Havertz through on goal for a one-on-one against City goalkeeper James Trafford, who got out quickly to block. Bukayo Saka had two attempts at the rebound and Trafford denied both, completing a triple save that proved pivotal to the outcome. Arsenal were the better side on points before the interval, according to La Vanguardia, but gradually ceded ground as City grew into the match. Erling Haaland headed over from close range in the only meaningful City attack before the break. The first half's cagey, low-tempo nature had made extra time seem a likely outcome, but the second half told an entirely different story.

Guardiola claims fifth League Cup, Arsenal's quadruple dream ends The victory gave Guardiola his fifth League Cup as Manchester City manager, making him the only manager in history to win the competition on five occasions, according to La Vanguardia. It was City's ninth League Cup title overall and Guardiola's 16th major trophy with the club, excluding Community Shields. 16 (major trophies) — Guardiola's major trophies with Manchester City, excluding Community Shields Arsenal had entered the final as Premier League leaders, nine points clear of City, and unbeaten in their previous 14 matches. The defeat was their first in that run and ended their pursuit of a quadruple that would have included the Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League, and Carabao Cup. City, who still have a game in hand on Arsenal and face them at home on April 19, will now look to close the gap in the title race. Before the match, a bus reportedly carrying City supporters caught fire on the way to Wembley and burned out completely, though no injuries were reported, according to several English media outlets cited by N-tv. England national coach Thomas Tuchel was present at Wembley to watch the final.

Manchester City and Arsenal have a long history in the League Cup. Guardiola first won the competition in 2018, defeating Arsenal in that final, and went on to win it in each of the following three seasons. Arsenal's last major trophy before this final was the 2020 FA Cup, when Arteta's side beat Chelsea. Arsenal had been unbeaten in their previous six meetings with City going back to the 2023 Community Shield, which they won on penalties. This was only Arteta's second cup final as a manager.

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Arsenal, Manchester City

„City was fantastic in that second half. There were many like me who backed Arsenal this afternoon, but Arteta will be confused by how his team played.” — Gary Neville via Sky Sports