Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City defeated Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal 2-0 in the Carabao Cup final on 22 March 2026. This proved a fourth defeat for the Gunners in their last four League Cup final, the longest losing streak in the summit clash of the tournament's history.

Meanwhile, this is the second meeting between the two clubs this season. Previously, both teams met in a Premier League encounter on 21 September 2026, which ended in a 1-1 draw at the Emirates Stadium.

In the Carabao Cup final, Manchester City outclassed Arsenal at Wembley Stadium. Nico O’Riley scored the first goal at the 60th-minute mark. Just four minutes later, in the 64th minute, O’Riley doubled Manchester City’s lead with his second goal.

Early in the match, Manchester City goalkeeper James Trafford denied Arsenal the lead with a triple save. First saving a shot from Kai Havertz and then blocking two follow-up attempts from Bukayo Saka. After two goals from Nico O’Riley in quick succession, Arsenal tried to push until the very end. Riccardo Calafiori and Gabriel Jesus both hit the goal posts in the dying moments of the game as the Citizens survived the late scare.

Pep Guardiola won his 19th trophy as the Manchester City manager. Besides that, he also won a record fifth League Cup title as a manager.

This loss stretches Arsenal’s trophy drought to 3 years. Arsenal last won the FA Community Shield back in 2023 against Manchester City. In terms of major trophies won, Arsenal are on a 6-year drought, as the last major trophy win came way back in the 2019-20 season with an FA Cup victory.

What is next for Manchester City and Arsenal?

Manchester City have won the first trophy of the season. Pep Guardiola’s team was knocked out of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 at the hands of Real Madrid. However, they are still in the hunt for the FA Cup and the Premier League.

In the league, they are nine points behind league leaders Arsenal and are unlikely to put up a fight for the title with just eight games in hand.

After the victory, Pep Guardiola said: “I could not believe how unbelievably good we had done in the second half. It’s really important for the club as well, not just the young guys. James Trafford saved us in the first minutes. Everybody made a contribution – Max Alleyne played at Newcastle in the semi-final with a lot of injuries. These competitions, we need everybody involved.”

Manchester City will challenge for the Premier League title with only eight games to go. Besides that, they would also aim to defeat Liverpool in the FA Cup quarterfinals and go all the way to lift the trophy at the end of the season.

Arsenal have once again failed to win a trophy in the end. Mikel Arteta’s men have been brilliant throughout the season, but have not been able to win a crucial trophy once again. However, they are still active in multiple competitions such as the UEFA Champions League, the FA Cup, and the Premier League. In the Premier League, they are currently at the top of the table with a nine-point lead and seven games to go.

Following the loss, Mikel Arteta said: “We’re going to use this disappointment and this fire in the belly to have the most amazing two months that we have ever had together.”

Arsenal will lock horns with Southampton in the FA Cup quarterfinals and Sporting CP in the UEFA Champions League. With a defining lead over Manchester City in the league, Arsenal could end their trophy drought and win a major trophy at the end of the season.

Also read: Arsenal falter, Manchester City rise, and the title race just got real