Manchester City beat Arsenal to advance to the League Cup with a near-perfect performance at Wembley on Sunday. It was Pep Guardiola’s 19th trophy as City manager and a record fifth in the competition. sky sports We take a closer look at who shined and who flopped.
arsenal
Kepa – 5
The player, who has experience in Carabao Cup finals, failed to save any of Liverpool’s 11 penalties in the 2022 final, losing both times, and appeared to reject an attempted substitution in a high-profile incident involving Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri. And this was another unfortunate chapter to add to his Wembley misfortune. His costly error allowed Nico O’Reilly to slot home the opener which set the tone for Arsenal’s second-half defeat.
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Nico O’Reilly opens the scoring after Kepa’s mistake
White – 6
Despite keeping Jeremy Doku relatively quiet, the Belgian has been constantly asked about his goals. After some unnecessary kick-ups, he took out his frustrations on Rayan Cherki and got a card.
Gabriel – 6
Although the defense was solid in the box, his attacking threat, so important to the Arsenal team, was negated as Manchester City defended set pieces with great authority.
cross – 7
He has been very busy, fighting off most things Manchester City throw at him in a typically fierce battle with Erling Haaland. Really disappointed in his teammates, many of them froze on the big stage.
Hincapi – 5
We saw every corner of the centre-back playing out of position when he had to face Antonie Semenyo in a one-on-one situation. Despite both of O’Reilly’s goals coming from his side, City failed to expose him sufficiently after he received a first-half yellow card. Substituted in the 65th minute.
Zuvimendi – 6
I never understood the game against a ruthless Manchester City midfield led by a boring Bernardo Silva. His counterpart, Rodri, completed 83 accurate passes, underlining the level of City’s dominance of the football.
Rice – 6
It was a first domestic cup final for one of our best players, but it was a desperate day for him. When Arsenal needed some drive and danger from their midfield, Declan Rice was not there. The game passed him by as he is usually very reliable on this kind of stage.
From – 6
Remarkably, Bukayo Saka appeared in Arsenal’s first cup final. He almost opened the scoring after seven minutes with a double bite of a cherry for James Trafford. He has now scored just two and three goals in his final 24 games. It’s a bad day at the office.
Havertz – 6
Having won this competition against Chelsea in 2022, he had no regard for the rhythm required for a game of this nature. And who can blame him after missing most of the season due to injury? Substituted in the 65th minute.
Trosar – 6
Anonymous. Manchester City had Jeremy Doku who brought them up the pitch. That’s what Arsenal were hoping Leandro Trossard would do for them.
Gyokeresu – 6
Viktor Gyokeres’ previous Wembley appearance came in Coventry’s penalty shoot-out defeat to Luton in the 2023 Championship play-off final. He has since hit the ground running in his career, but has struggled to use his presence and running power to have any impact on the game, to the point where he hasn’t hit a single shot.
man city
Trafford – 8
Made a triple save early to deny Havertz and Saka and then was a relative bystander. How much he would have liked it. They were blocked by Calafiori in the second half, but were never at full strength. He had his moment in the first seven minutes and stood tall.
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Arsenal missed three early chances through James Trafford.
Nunes – 7
While providing width and consistent outlets, he made nine ball recoveries, won six duels and assisted O’Reilly’s second ball. Definition of solid.
Khusanov – 7
He has shown remarkable recovery speed on several occasions. Gyokeresu was given nothing. He is quickly developing into one of the best 1v1 defenders in the Premier League.
Next – 7
He’s the only outfielder to start every game until the Finals, and for good reason. His experience was needed to provide leadership from the back and keep City structured.
O’Reilly – 10
Nico O’Reilly final. Both goals were scored from left-back. The first is through grit and determination, and the second is due to the special ability to get to the opponent’s box at the right time. He gambled to the back post from Nunes’ cross and guided a super header into the far corner to kill the game. Both touches inside the Arsenal box resulted in goals. A huge influence from an incredibly talented young Englishman.
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O’Reilly scores Manchester City’s second goal
Rhodri – 7
I ran the game. After passing to the wing, he swept the pass and took part in the opener, recycling the ball with perfect efficiency. His role is often an unselfish one, taking screens in front of City’s defensive line, which is devoid of first-choice centre-backs. He is the only player to touch the ball more than 100 times on the park. The 14 passes to the final third are also a game record.
Silva – 7
You set an example. It epitomized every advantage City had in possession, but was most diligent off the ball. Working like a terrier, he recovered the ball a total of nine times, more than any other player. A proper captain’s performance.
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Watch Manchester City lift the Carabao Cup trophy at Wembley
Cherki – 8
It helps to sustain the attack, get through the lines and put the ball at risk. Some of his touches sparked a threat before he delivered a cross that Kepa fumbled for City’s opener. He taunted Arsenal, which upset them. Some of his showboating may irritate Guardiola, but it energizes the fans. They love him.
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Pep Guardiola was unimpressed with Rayan Cherki’s display as Manchester City went 2-0 up and Ben White fouled him.
Texture – 8
Kepa was shown a yellow card after catching a long ball, and from that moment on, the Arsenal goalkeeper looked shaken. Ten minutes later Kepa let the ball slip through his fingertips for unknown reasons. Maybe Doku got into his head. The Belgian also won a staggering 12 duels and completed six dribbles, a crucial part of Pep’s battle plan.
Semenyo – 7
Despite being knocked out of this cup with former club Bournemouth before Manchester City even joined the competition, he showed his worth. Beat Hincapie throughout the game and fed Haaland with a few tempting crosses. He had the ball and occupied City territory better than anyone else.
Holland – 6
The number nine continued to wait for a Wembley goal, with no breakthrough now for seven games. Despite great efforts to keep Gabriel and Saliba busy, there were no shots on target. Generated the city’s second-highest xG value behind O’Reilly.
