Coach Pep Guardiola rushed to the touchline in extreme joy. Nico O'Reilly, a hero who grew up from the Manchester City training academy, just scored his second goal, helping Guardiola once again affirm his special love for the Carabao Cup.
O'Reilly turned 21 years old right before the final, is a genuine Manchester person - to the point of tattooing "0161", his hometown phone number. This performance is a worthy reward for one of Man City's most outstanding players of the season.
But this is not just O'Reilly's own moment. It is also an important milestone for Man City and Guardiola. The way he celebrates clearly shows that the desire to win is still burning. Leaving at the end of the season? With this passion, it seems unlikely to happen.
Guardiola now has 5 Carabao Cup titles - more than Arsenal. This achievement will certainly add motivation for the rest of the season.
Once again, Man City is underestimated. And once again, they prove the opposite. The familiar scenario is repeating itself, especially with Arsenal - a team that has been repeatedly overtaken by City in the championship race in recent seasons.
Arsenal's 9-point gap in the Premier League is no longer too safe. Man City still has one match to play and can completely defeat their direct opponent.
Guardiola continues to dominate against his former student Mikel Arteta. In 17 encounters, Arteta has only won 4 matches, while Guardiola has won 10. This is also a bitter lesson for Arsenal in using a backup goalkeeper. Kepa Arrizabalaga has played well in previous rounds, but David Raya is the more stable and classy choice throughout the season.
Kepa's mistake in the first conceded goal was a turning point. He did not decisively handle Cherki's cross, creating conditions for O'Reilly to score. However, this defeat did not only come from Kepa personally. Arsenal almost could not show anything and was completely inferior to Man City.
The Gunners' four-time dream is officially closed. They still have a chance to win three titles, but this defeat will add more confidence to Man City in the rest of the season.
Arsenal played too passively. When the match ended, the stands for their fans were almost empty, while Man City fans sang O'Reilly's name.
This young player usually plays in midfield, but this time he shines in the left-back position. He continuously appears at the far post and scores two headed goals. This is a performance that shows O'Reilly's great potential and the goal of going further like the World Cup.
Arsenal started not badly. They had three clear chances, but Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka could not beat goalkeeper James Trafford. The first half was less exciting, although this was the first time the two Premier League leaders met in a final. However, the quality of the match did not meet expectations.
After the break, Man City completely controlled the game. Kepa almost made another mistake when he misjudged and fouled Jeremy Doku, receiving a yellow card. The opening goal came in the 60th minute. Cherki crossed the ball, Kepa did not handle it well and O'Reilly headed in the goal.
Just 4 minutes later, Nunes continued to cross accurately, Saka lost focus and O'Reilly completed a double. After that, Arsenal tried to rise up but it was too late. Calafiori headed wide, Gabriel Jesus shot into the crossbar. Opportunities were not enough to change the situation.
Victory belongs to Man City. And with the way The Citizens perform, it is possible that the rest of the season will also lean towards them.
