O’Reilly double fires Man City to Carabao Cup glory as Arsenal fumble on title chance again

Manchester City claimed the Carabao Cup title with a 2-0 win over Arsenal at Wembley, ending the Gunners’ pursuit of a historic quadruple.

Second-half goals from Nico O’Reilly secured the win, as City delivered a controlled and clinical performance to lift the trophy.

Second-half surge proves decisive

After a closely contested first half, City took control shortly after the break. O’Reilly opened the scoring on the hour mark, capitalising on a costly error from Kepa Arrizabalaga, who dropped a routine cross from Rayan Cherki.

The midfielder reacted quickly, heading home from close range to give City the advantage.

Just four minutes later, O’Reilly struck again, meeting a cross from Matheus Nunes at the far post to double the lead with another header.

Kepa’s error proves costly as O’Reilly fires double to hand Guardiola 5th Carabao Cup – Getty image

Arsenal fall short at Wembley

Arsenal struggled to respond as City maintained control for the remainder of the contest. Manager Mikel Arteta’s decision to retain Kepa in goal for the competition instead of David Raya proved costly.

For City, the victory marks another milestone under Pep Guardiola, who becomes the first manager to win the competition five times.

The defeat leaves Arsenal still searching for their first major trophy since 2020, while City add another domestic title to their recent run of success.