Pep Guardiola may have brought a more intellectual perspective to football coaching, but he also frankly admitted: "I am not artificial intelligence. I am human and I can celebrate".
With Guardiola, the emotional explosion in the Carabao Cup final victory was clearly shown when he was shown a yellow card for stepping out of the technical area. With the unpredictable personality of the Spanish strategist, simulating his thinking seems to be beyond the capabilities of any AI system.
For the Spanish coach, the victory over Arsenal at Wembley was full of surprise. He admitted: "Even I didn't spend a single pound to bet on today's victory.
Guardiola is used to winning titles, but very few of them come by overcoming adversity. Usually, he wins when holding a team that is rated higher. Previously, the last two times they reached the final at Wembley, Man City both lost to Manchester United and Crystal Palace in the FA Cup. This time, they created a real shock.
For most of the time Guardiola worked in Manchester, people almost assumed that each title he won would quickly lead to the next trophies. However, things are no longer as clear as before.
Guardiola still maintains his familiar answer that he only has one year left on his contract. Arsenal's empty-handedness for the past 6 years - except for the English Super Cup - shows that even strong teams have difficulty conquering titles, partly because Man City often collects all trophies.
Now, the question is, is this the end of a cycle or the beginning of a new period. Guardiola's biggest rival, Jurgen Klopp, has closed his journey with an emotional Carabao Cup championship, achieved in an unimaginable way.
Although it can be put on a scale to compare, but as Klopp once admitted, Guardiola possesses a superior collection of titles. One hypothesis suggests that the Spanish strategist wants to say goodbye to another major title, especially when Man City has been eliminated from the Champions League and is 9 points behind Arsenal in the Premier League.
However, there were also times when Guardiola was excited about the third squad project he was building. He believed that the team was not too far from the goal: "The team has something hidden, and I can feel that they will develop strongly. This victory helps me somewhat visualize that process.
Whether this team can maintain cohesion to continue conquering the title is still a question mark. Standing silently in the Wembley stands, watching his students celebrate, perhaps Guardiola was particularly pleased to witness Bernardo Silva lift the trophy in the position of captain. However, this could also be the Portuguese player's last title, as his contract will expire in the summer and the future remains uncertain.
After the match, Guardiola praised some individuals. Nathan Ake was used when Ruben Dias was injured, but currently the Dutch center-back seems to be only the fifth choice. Meanwhile, Abdukodir Khusanov - representing the young wave - impresses with speed and dynamism.
In goal, James Trafford made an impressive consecutive save, helping Man City stand firm against the pressure that Guardiola described as suffocating from Arsenal. Returning to the Etihad last summer, Trafford did not expect the team to recruit Gianluigi Donnarumma just two months later. Despite having more titles, this young goalkeeper is likely to leave as he does not want to continue playing as a substitute.
Man City's rebuilding has made progress in some positions, but there are still many unfinished points, especially in the context of the possibility of many players parting ways. The team may add a right-back, even though Matheus Nunes has left his mark with an assist at Wembley. On the left wing, Nico O'Reilly is still an option that needs more time to be verified, even though he just became a hero in the final.
Among the 13 new signings in the last three transfer windows, Rayan Cherki and Khusanov emerge as the two most notable names. Cherki shows the qualities of a true number 10 at Wembley, in the context of Arsenal's shortage of personnel for this position due to the absence of Martin Odegaard and Eberechi Eze. With a price of 31 million pounds, the French player is showing that this is a bargain deal.
The playing style at Wembley also raises questions about Guardiola's tactical change, when he used two fast wingers Jeremy Doku and Antoine Semenyo. Sometimes, Man City appears to lack control in midfield - something rare under Guardiola and also revealed when they played at the Bernabeu.
Whether Rodri can return to his peak form after injury is still an unknown. Meanwhile, Erling Haaland - who has only scored 5 goals in the last 20 matches - is expected to soon regain his scoring instinct.
All can become the foundation for a new era of success for Guardiola, or just a flash in the transition period. Like many other issues at Man City, everything depends on whether Guardiola will stay or leave. And if he leaves the hot seat, artificial intelligence is also difficult to replace.
