Arsenal went into Sunday's League Cup final with Manchester City hoping it would be the first stop of their quadruple tour. The Gunners had entered the last third of the 2025-26 season as favourites to win all four competitions they were competing in. At the first Wembley hurdle, however, they fell apart.
The Premier League have been warned that they would be “ruining their own competition” by hitting Manchester City with a 60-point penalty at this stage of the season, with a “stupid” Financial Fair Play (FFP) saga continuing to drag on. Potential sanctions in a 115-charge case are still being mooted, with Richard Dunne telling GOAL when a ruling will likely be delivered.
Former Arsenal defender Bacary Sagna has insisted that Mikel Arteta was correct to start Kepa Arrizabalaga in Sunday’s Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester City. Despite a high-profile error from the Spaniard contributing to the 2-0 loss at Wembley, Sagna believes the Gunners' failure to adapt their tactical approach was the primary reason for their heartbreak, insisting that that they must learn to "play dirty".
A new video has shown Pep Guardiola embracing Rayan Cherki after the forward was substituted towards the end of Manchester City's Carabao Cup final triumph over Arsenal on Sunday afternoon. The France international was criticised in some quarters for juggling the ball with his side 2-0 up, with manager Guardiola seen shaking his head in response to the trickery.
Gary Neville was seen shushing a Manchester City supporter after being targeted by inane and witless jeers from the stands during Sunday's Carabao Cup final. The former Manchester United and England defender was at Wembley Stadium to co-commentate on City's victory over Arsenal as Nico O'Reilly scored a brace but was forced to engage with one fan who attempted to rile him up.
Manchester City beat Arsenal in the first final of the English football season, with Pep Guardiola schooling former apprentice Mikel Arteta to secure the Carabao Cup at Wembley on Sunday. The contest was decided by two second-half goals from Nico O’Reilly, who twice crept into the Gunners’ box effectively unmarked to score from a pair of almost identical crosses.
Mikel Arteta has found himself under intense scrutiny following Arsenal's 2-0 defeat to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley Stadium on Sunday. The Gunners manager opted to start deputy goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga over undisputed number one David Raya, a decision that proved costly when the Spaniard's error handed City the lead in the game.
Pep Guardiola has heaped praise on his Manchester City players after they secured the first silverware of the season with a 2-0 win over Arsenal at Wembley Stadium. The City boss was particularly complimentary of his opponents, describing Mikel Arteta’s side as one of the best teams in world football following a tightly contested Carabao Cup final, and he also praised Nico O'Reilly, who scored both goals in City’s victory over Arsenal.
Manchester City midfielder Nico O'Reilly experienced the ultimate birthday weekend after scoring a brilliant second-half double to secure a 2-0 victory over Arsenal in the 2026 Carabao Cup final. The 21-year-old was in dreamland at Wembley Stadium, heading home two crucial goals to end his team's brief trophy drought and shatter the quadruple hopes of their London rivals.
Nico O'Reilly etched his name into Manchester City folklore with a stunning double in the space of four minutes to inspire his side to a 2-0 win over Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final. Born in Manchester and raised in City's academy, O'Reilly pounced on a sloppy piece of goalkeeping from Kepa Arrizabalaga to give Pep Guardiola's side the edge in a cagey encounter at Wembley on the hour-mark.
Despite becoming the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history, Arsenal wonderkid Max Dowman remains his own harshest critic. The 16-year-old sensation continues to contact his former mentor, Jack Wilshere, to complain about his displays and seek guidance as he navigates the immense pressures of senior football and chases historic milestones under Mikel Arteta.
Manchester City's preparations for the Carabao Cup final have been rocked by a major injury blow to defensive linchpin Ruben Dias. The Portugal international is set to miss the Wembley showdown against Arsenal, leaving Pep Guardiola with a significant selection headache in the heart of his backline hours before the match.
Bernardo Silva is clinging to the dream of joining Barcelona as a free agent this summer, but serious doubts are being cast over whether a deal will be done. The Portugal international playmaker is preparing to sever ties with Manchester City when his contract expires. He has offers from the Saudi Pro League, Italy and his homeland, but is holding out for an approach from Catalonia.
Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes admits that Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has been his “toughest opponent” down the years, with the pair establishing a bitter rivalry. While they have clashed on a regular basis in Premier League action, there is plenty of respect between the duo. They are poised to lock horns again in the 2026 Carabao Cup final.
Manchester City will be without key January signing Marc Guehi for their Carabao Cup final showdown against Arsenal at Wembley on Sunday. Despite other winter arrivals being eligible, the England international has been sidelined by a new rule. Pep Guardiola has been left exasperated after the former Crystal Palace defender was officially ruled out.
Barcelona are willing to offload Jules Kounde this summer, per a new report, despite the defender signing a long-term contract extension until 2030 last summer. The France international is no longer seen as "untouchable" within the Spotify Camp Nou squad and offers may well be considered should they arrive when the transfer window reopens.
Tottenham are targeting two England goalkeepers, as well as a stopper likened to Manuel Neuer, as they prepare for the summer transfer window, per a new report. Spurs are expecting to sell Guglielmo Vicario this summer and, if they stay in the Premier League, hope to launch a move for a ready-made replacement.
Bukayo Saka has lifted the lid on life inside Arsenal's dressing room as the Gunners continue to chase a historic quadruple, and the message from the club's starboy sounds remarkably similar to the message Erling Haaland gave Mikel Arteta last season. The England international insists his side are "staying humble", as they prepare to face Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday.
Pep Guardiola has officially confirmed his starting goalkeeper for Sunday’s Carabao Cup final against Arsenal at Wembley. While Gianluigi Donnarumma has been the preferred choice in the Premier League, a surprise name will take the gloves for the season's first piece of silverware.
Arsenal will look to end their six-year trophy drought on Sunday when they take on rivals Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley. Going back even further, the Gunners haven't won silverware in front of live fans since their 2017 FA Cup triumph, a time when Arsene Wenger was still manager and Mikel Arteta had just completed his first season as Pep Guardiola's assistant.
"It sharpens your mind, and there are clear similarities to football," said Erling Haaland when he announced his investment in the Total Chess World Championship this week. "You have to think quickly, trust your instincts, and think several moves ahead. Strategy and planning are everything." The Manchester City striker’s strategy cannot be faulted except at one stadium in particular: Wembley.
The Gunners have been sweating over the fitness of Martin Odegaard and Jurrien Timber ahead of the Carabao Cup final. Odegaard hasn't featured since the draw with Brentford last month, while Timber was forced off during the 2-0 victory against Everton last Saturday. Their absence is felt, but Mikel Arteta remains hopeful.
Haaland has failed to score in eight finals for City. Arsenal are unbeaten in six consecutive meetings, while Guardiola has lost four of his last five major finals.
Jamie Carragher claims we are in a "strange new world" where neutrals favour Man City over Arsenal for the Premier League title, as well as this weekend’s Carabao Cup final. He argues that Mikel Arteta’s pragmatic "win-at-all-costs" style, plus a polarising fanbase, has flipped the "anyone but City" sentiment into a resounding "anyone but Arsenal."
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