Manchester City Defeat Arsenal 2-0 to Secure Historic Ninth League Cup Trophy

Manchester City defeated Arsenal 2-0 in the League Cup final at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, March 22, 2026, with 21-year-old Nico O'Reilly scoring both second-half goals to hand manager Pep Guardiola a record fifth title in the competition. O'Reilly headed home in the 60th minute after Arsenal goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga failed to hold a cross from Rayan Cherki, and then added a second four minutes later, stooping to meet a clipped ball from Matheus Nunes. The result ended Arsenal's hopes of winning their first trophy since 2020 and silenced talk of a potential quadruple for Mikel Arteta's side. City, who had been eliminated from the Champions League by Real Madrid earlier in the week, claimed the competition for the ninth time in their history.

O'Reilly's double makes history at Wembley

O'Reilly, born on March 21, 2005, became the youngest player to score a brace in a League Cup final since Wayne Rooney did so for Manchester United in 2006. The English midfielder, who started the match at left-back, turned the game on its head within a four-minute spell that transformed a dreary goalless first half into a decisive City victory. The first goal originated from a fumble by Arrizabalaga, who could only push a Cherki cross over his own head, leaving O'Reilly to stoop and head into an empty net. The second arrived through a well-worked City overlap down the right, with Nunes delivering a precise cross for O'Reilly to finish. „Unbelievable feeling. To win a final, to beat this team — we know how good they are. We need to build on it, it will give us good momentum.” — Nico O'Reilly via Reuters Phil Foden came on as a late substitute but extended his goal drought to 20 matches, having also lost his place in City's starting lineup over the previous five games.

Guardiola surpasses Ferguson, Mourinho, and Clough

Guardiola's fifth League Cup title as City manager moved him ahead of Jose Mourinho, Alex Ferguson, and Brian Clough, each of whom won the competition four times, making him the most successful manager in the tournament's history. 5 (League Cup titles) — Guardiola's record haul as Manchester City manager Five of City's nine total League Cup victories have come since Guardiola arrived at the club in 2016. The win arrived just days after City's midweek exit from the Champions League at the hands of Real Madrid, a result that had prompted widespread discussion about a shift in the balance of power in English football. Guardiola called Arsenal "the best team in Europe" after the match, according to The Guardian. Manchester City won four consecutive League Cup titles between 2018 and 2021 under Guardiola. Arsenal had not won the League Cup since 1993, and their last major trophy of any kind came in 2020. The two clubs have developed one of English football's most prominent managerial rivalries, with Arteta having previously served as Guardiola's assistant at City before taking charge at Arsenal.

Arteta defends Kepa, vows Arsenal will respond

Arteta defended his decision to start Arrizabalaga ahead of first-choice goalkeeper David Raya, noting that the Spaniard had played in all five of Arsenal's League Cup ties during the season. „He's played all the [games in the] competition and I think it would have been very unfair for him and for the team to do something different.” — Mikel Arteta via The Guardian Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright described the performance on Sky Sports as "a really poor performance," reflecting the broader sense of disappointment among Arsenal supporters. Arteta acknowledged that City had been sharper in almost every department after the opening 15 minutes, and said his squad would need to reflect on what went wrong once emotions had settled. Despite the defeat, Arsenal retained a 9 (points) — Arsenal's Premier League lead over Manchester City, with City holding a game in hand lead in the Premier League, with City holding a game in hand and a meeting between the two sides scheduled at the Etihad Stadium on April 19. „What this team has done in the last eight months has been incredible and we're going to use this disappointment and use this fire in the belly to have the most amazing two months that we have ever had together.” — Mikel Arteta via Reuters Arsenal continue to pursue the Premier League title — their first since 2004 — as well as the FA Cup and Champions League.

Manchester City, Arsenal