Arsenal 0-2 Manchester City: City Win Carabao Cup Again Thanks to O'Reilly Double

Match Details

• Competition: EFL League Cup Final (Carabao Cup)
• Date: Sunday 22nd March 2026
• Venue: Wembley Stadium, London
• Final Score: Arsenal 0 - 2 Manchester City
• Attendance: 88,486
• Referee: Peter Bankes (4th Official: Thomas Bramall, VAR: John Brooks)

Match Stats & Key Metrics

	Arsenal	Manchester City
Score	0	2
Half Time	0	0
Goalscorers	-	O'Reilly 60', 64'
Formation	4-2-3-1	4-1-3-2
Yellow Cards	Hincapie 16', Arrizabalaga 51', White 69'	Khusanov 32'
Red Cards	-	-
Substitutions	Calafiori 65' (Hincapie), Madueke 66' (Havertz), Gabriel Jesus 82' (Trossard), Martinelli 82' (White)	Foden 90' (Cherki)
Attendance	88,486

The Story of the Match

MANCHESTER CITY won the Carabao Cup Final 2-0 against Arsenal and took the upper hand with the London club going into the Premier League title race. Arsenal started well but did not take their chances and in the second half Manchester oozed class and scored twice through defender Nico O'Reilly with two headed goals first from an assist by Rayan Cherki in the 60th minute after Kepa Arrizabalaga the Arsenal goalkeeper fluffed a centre from Cherki and then four minutes later O'Reilly popped up again to head a Matheus Nunes assist into the net to seal a great 2-0 victory in front of a crowd of 88,486 fans at Wembley.

The first silverware of the domestic 2025-26 season went to Manchester City who beat archrivals Arsenal at Wembley Stadium yesterday afternoon in the EFL Cup Final. Arsenal came into the match after four wins against Bayer Leverkusen (home) Champions League Last 16 2nd Leg 2-0 last time out, Everton (home) 2-0, Mansfield Town (away) FA Cup 5th Round 2-1 and Brighton & Hove Albion (away) 1-0 and one draw against Bayer Leverkusen (away) Champions League Last 16 1st Leg 1-1. Manchester City came into the match after one win against Newcastle United (away) FA Cup 5th Round 3-1, two draws against West Ham United (away) 1-1 and Nottingham Forest (away) 2-2 and two defeats against Real Madrid (away) Champions League Last 16 1st Leg 0-3 and Real Madrid (home) Champions League Last 16 2nd Leg 1-2.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta started with a 4-2-3-1 formation with Kepa Arrizabalaga in goal, then four across the back in Ben White, William Saliba, Gabriel, and Piero Hincapie then two holding midfielders in Martin Zubimendi and Declan Rice then three attacking midfielders in captain Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz and Leonardo Trossard with a loan striker up front in Viktor Gyokeres up front.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola started with a 4-1-3-2 formation with James Trafford in goal, then a back four of Matheus Nunes, Abdukodir Khusanov, Nathan Ake and Nico O'Reilly then Rodri playing in front of the back four then three attacking midfielders in Jeremy Doku, captain Bernardo Silva and Rayan Cherki with Erling Haaland and Antoine Semenyo up top.

Arsenal had only won two League Cup's whereas Manchester City had won eight. Arsenal kicked off the first half defending the goal behind where the Gunners supporters were packed in their numbers. The Gunners started the better and in the seventh minute Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka both saw shots on target saved by James Trafford in the City goal.

Arsenal forced a corner in the 12th minute after a Leonardo Trossard left-footed shot took a deflection off a City defender. Saka took the corner, but it was cleared by Nathan Ake in the 13th minute. Piero Hincapie was yellow carded in the 16th minute for a heavy challenge. Arsenal's free flowing football in the middle of the expanse of the Wembley pitch was thwarted by bitty challenges and fouls by City as they tried to claw themselves back into the contest.

Manchester City corner in 29th minute taken deep to the back of the penalty area was cleared quickly up field by the Gunners. Abdukodir Khusanov was yellow carded for a heavy challenge on Viktor Gyokeres in the 32nd minute. With Arsenal's next attack in the 33rd minute Ake made a key tackle to deny Gyokeres from shooting as the Gunners pressed for an opening goal. In the 36th minute Arsenal attained another corner through captain Saka. He took the corner left-footed into the City penalty area to the back post where Hincapie headed over the cross bar.

The teams went in level at the interval. Arsenal had been the better team in the first half, but City had come back in the final stages of the first half as Erling Haaland had a first attempt on goal with a header from a Jeremy Doku cross in the 44th minute. Manchester City kicked off in the second half at 0-0. Neither side made any substitutions at half time. Arsenal corner in the 49th minute cleared up field quickly and City on the fast counterattack saw Doku fouled on the edge of the penalty area by Kepa Arrizabalaga and he was yellow carded for a rough challenge in the 51st minute.

City free kick taken by Antoine Semenyo right footed beyond the back post in the 52nd minute. Rodri right-footed shot blocked in the 55th minute after excellent build-up play for City by Bernardo Silva. Erling Haaland was through on goal in the 58th minute but Gabriel made a killer tackle before he could pull the City trigger. Manchester City opened the scoring in the 60th minute through a close-range header by defender Nico O'Reilly from an assist by Rayan Cherki to make it 0-1.

City scored again through Nico O'Reilly four minutes later with another close header into the Gunners net from a lovely looping assist by Matheus Nunes to double the lead 0-2 in the 64th minute. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta immediately replaced Piero Hincapie and Kai Havertz with Ricardo Calafiori and Noni Madueke after the second goal in the 65th and 66th minutes.

Arsenal brought on Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli for Leonardo Trossard and Ben White in the 82nd minute for which was far too late to make an adequate response to the City goals. In the 87th minute Gabriel Jesus headed against the Manchester City cross bar which was the Gunners only chance in the second half. City brought on Phil Foden for Rayan Cherki in the 90th minute.

It was the ninth time City had lifted the League Cup in the history of the club as they had dominated the entire second half with two goals and little response from Arsenal. Advantage Pep Guardiola!

Half Time Arsenal 0 Manchester City 0 (1 minute added time)

Full Time Arsenal 0 Manchester City 2 (4 minutes added time)

Timeline of Key Events

• 7' - Shots on target (Arsenal) - Havertz and Saka both have efforts saved by Trafford.
• 12' - Corner (Arsenal) - Trossard's shot deflects off a City defender.
• 16' - Yellow Card (Arsenal) - Hincapie booked for a heavy challenge.
• 29' - Corner (Manchester City) - Taken deep, cleared quickly by Arsenal.
• 32' - Yellow Card (Manchester City) - Khusanov booked for a heavy challenge on Gyokeres.
• 36' - Corner (Arsenal) - Saka's delivery headed over by Hincapie.
• 44' - Chance (Manchester City) - Haaland heads a Doku cross at goal.
• HT - Arsenal 0-0 Manchester City (1 minute added time).
• 49' - Corner (Arsenal) - Cleared, City counterattack.
• 51' - Yellow Card (Arsenal) - Arrizabalaga booked for fouling Doku on the edge of the area.
• 55' - Chance (Manchester City) - Rodri's right-footed shot blocked after Bernardo Silva build-up.
• 58' - Chance (Manchester City) - Haaland through on goal but Gabriel makes a crucial tackle.
• 60' - Goal (Manchester City) - O'Reilly heads in from close range after Cherki's assist. 0-1.
• 64' - Goal (Manchester City) - O'Reilly heads in again from a Matheus Nunes looping assist. 0-2.
• 65' - Substitution (Arsenal) - Calafiori replaces Hincapie.
• 66' - Substitution (Arsenal) - Madueke replaces Havertz.
• 82' - Substitutions (Arsenal) - Gabriel Jesus replaces Trossard; Martinelli replaces White.
• 87' - Chance (Arsenal) - Gabriel Jesus heads against the crossbar.
• 90' - Substitution (Manchester City) - Foden replaces Cherki.
• FT - Arsenal 0-2 Manchester City (4 minutes added time).

Author's Standout Players

• Nico O'Reilly (Manchester City) - The defender was the unlikely hero of the final, scoring twice with close-range headers to seal the cup for City. His first arrived from a Cherki assist in the 60th minute and he doubled the lead four minutes later from a Matheus Nunes delivery. A man-of-the-match display.
• Gabriel (Arsenal) - The Brazilian centre-back was Arsenal's best performer, making a crucial tackle to deny Haaland when through on goal in the 58th minute. He led the defensive line well throughout and was unlucky to end up on the losing side.
• Rayan Cherki (Manchester City) - The Frenchman was instrumental in City's second-half dominance, providing the assist for the opening goal and causing Arsenal problems with his movement and creativity. Replaced by Foden in the 90th minute after an excellent display.
• Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) - The Arsenal captain was his side's most dangerous attacking threat, particularly in the first half where he forced a save from Trafford and delivered several dangerous set pieces. Faded after the interval as City took control.