Manchester City beat Arsenal 2-0 on Sunday to win England’s first domestic title, the Carabao Cup. In this piece, Ufuoma Egbamuno explains what went wrong for the Gooners and how Pep’s team triumphed
As Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta stood on the Wembley turf watching his mentor, Pep Guardiola, lead Manchester City up those famous stairs, a lot must have been going through his mind.
Why did I leave Kai Havertz on for 15 minutes longer than I should have?
Why didn’t I take Piero Hincapié off at half-time?
Why didn’t I ask more questions of this City side?
Arteta has lost this.
— Ufuoma Egbamuno (@Foskolo) March 22, 2026
Hincapie didn't need to start this second half.
Kai needed to be off.
But he left both of them on.
Despite a shaky opening 20 minutes in Sunday’s Carabao Cup final, City, against the odds, showed the fight, tenacity, grit and guile that have defined them as England’s most dominant team over the last decade.
A record fifth Wembley title for Guardiola was enough to silence those who, in recent weeks, had begun to whisper about his decline.
Let us be clear: this was not the Centurions, nor the Treble-winning side of a few seasons ago. Their patchy league form this season is proof of that.
But what remains untouched is their culture of winning—five Carabao Cups, eight league titles, three FA Cups and one Champions League over the last 10 years. That is no accident.
And in the opening 15 minutes of the second half, City showed exactly what Arsenal lacked. Rodri, Bernardo Silva and Rayan Cherki stepped it up against a tiring Arsenal midfield and went straight for the jugular.
Man of the Match, Nico O'Reilly, proved why he deserves a place on the plane to the World Cup for England with two well-taken goals. He not only kept Bukayo Saka relatively quiet, he also outmuscled him to power home the second header that sealed Arteta’s fate at Wembley.
And Arteta would have no one else but himself to blame for this defeat.
His decision to start Kepa Arrizabalaga came back to haunt him. To be fair, the debate around leaving out David Raya was not entirely straightforward. I was not completely against Kepa starting. Yes, his error led to the opener—but Guardiola also started his backup keeper, James Trafford who was instrumental in keeping City in the game early on.
Still, those who argued that this was not the day for sentiment do have a point. Kepa’s error proved costly. However, the 2–0 defeat was about more than that decision.
After a bright opening 15–20 minutes where Arsenal created a couple of good chances, the cutting edge disappeared.
The loss of Eberechi Eze was a big glow and it proved damaging.
Havertz was clearly off the pace. That he lasted over 60 minutes was a major indictment on Arteta.
As my colleague China Ikwereman Acheru asked during the game, must coaches always wait until the 60th minute before making substitutions?
You did not need to be a tactical genius to see Havertz was struggling. He was not holding the ball up, and he offered little in midfield. While many Arsenal fans turned on Martín Zubimendi, and rivals suddenly found their voice on Declan Rice, Havertz’s ineffectiveness left City with a 3-v-2 advantage in midfield—and they exploited it ruthlessly.
Then there was Hincapié. Leaving him on after an early booking—one that clearly limited his aggressive style—was a call a manager at this level should have got right.
It proved costly.
Still, the idea that this defeat will derail Arsenal’s Premier League title charge feels exaggerated.
Any team that wins the league - over a 38 match run - IS GOOD.
— Ufuoma Egbamuno (@Foskolo) March 22, 2026
Winning a league isn't same as winning a one off cup final.
You can praise City's great performance today without trying to reduce a potential Arsenal league win.
Let's stop this abeg https://t.co/YQPaEb1MEp
This Arsenal side are not the “bottlers” many rivals claim. Any team sitting top of the league with a nine-point lead is there on merit. As I told my good friend and colleague, Wale Agbede on Twitter, any team that sits comfortably at the top of the Premier League with a nine point advantage is no fluke.
Attention now turns to April 19 and the Etihad clash many are already calling a title decider. But there is work to be done before then.
Arsenal face Bournemouth at the Emirates after the international break, while City travel to Stamford Bridge to take on Chelsea. A win for the Gunners and a slip from City could stretch the gap to 12 points—making that Etihad showdown far less decisive.
Like I said back in December 2025 after the loss to Aston Villa, Arsenal will win the league this season. Sunday’s defeat was just a blip.
I didn't see anything today to change my stance from 10 days ago - ARSENAL WILL WIN THIS LEAGUE.
— Ufuoma Egbamuno (@Foskolo) December 6, 2025
This Carabao Cup triumph simply reminded everyone that Guardiola’s City remain the dominant force in English football… for now.
