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  "path": "/2026/03/22/pep-guardiola-makes-huge-arsenal-claim-manchester-city-win-carabao-cup-27605268/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-03-22T19:44:28.000Z",
  "site": "https://metro.co.uk",
  "tags": [
    "Football",
    "Sport",
    "Arsenal",
    "Carabao Cup",
    "Manchester City FC",
    "Mikel Arteta",
    "Pep Guardiola",
    "Premier League",
    "Manchester City",
    "ecure the first piece of silverware of the season",
    "Champions League",
    "Bayern Munich",
    "Barcelona",
    "Sign up here",
    "@metrosportuk",
    "kepa",
    "mancity",
    "carabaocup",
    "oreilly",
    "♬ original sound – Metro Sport",
    "pic.twitter.com/kBvMYbNNfJ",
    "March 22, 2026",
    "check our sport page",
    "Facebook",
    "Twitter",
    "Instagram",
    "Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google\nAdd as preferred source",
    "@SkyFootball"
  ],
  "textContent": "Pep Guardiola after Manchester City’s victory over Arsenal (Picture: Sky Sports)\n\nPep Guardiola praised his Manchester City players for overcoming an Arsenal team that is ‘almost unbeatable’ in the Carabao Cup final.\n\nMan City beat Premier League title rivals Arsenal 2-0 at Wembley to secure the first piece of silverware of the season.\n\nAfter a cagey and goalless opening 45 minutes, two Nico O’Reilly goals in the space of four second-half minutes put Man City in control.\n\nArsenal were hoping to secure their first major trophy since 2020 but were unable to respond to O’Reilly’s quickfire brace.\n\nGuardiola hailed Premier League leaders Arsenal as ‘almost unbeatable’ after the game and insists Man City are still not at their level despite lifting the Carabao Cup.\n\nThe City boss also declared Arsenal as one of the top-three teams in Europe alongside Champions League hopefuls Bayern Munich and Barcelona.\n\n‘What can I say? Always, when you win a trophy it’s important,’ Guardiola said after winning his fifth Carabao Cup.\n\n##  Your football fix\n\n**Metro** 's Head of Sport James Goldman delivers punchy analysis, transfer talk and his take on the week's biggest stories direct to your inbox every week.\n\nSign up here, it's an open goal.\n\nNico O’Reilly starred in the Carabao Cup final (Picture: Getty)\n\n‘But this was special because we’ve had a tough two weeks and especially because of the opponent. The first 15 minutes they suffocated us. We could not breathe.\n\n‘After that, we started to play. I’m really pleased but Mikel has created a team that is almost unbeatable.\n\n‘We are still not the team that Arsenal are or what we were in the past. We found a way to win titles.\n\nMikel Arteta after Arsenal’s cup final defeat (Picture: Getty)\n\n‘It means a lot. It’s always difficult to win trophies. Alongside Bayern Munich and maybe Barcelona, to face the best team in Europe.\n\n‘They suffocated us for the first 15 minutes but after that we started to win a few more second balls.\n\n‘We won an incredible victory. The Carabao Cup is not the Premier League or the Champions League but a win against that team makes it a special title.’\n\n> @metrosportuk\n>\n> Kepa won’t want to watch that one back 😬 Manchester City beat Arsenal 2-0 in the Carabao Cup final following a huge mistake from the Gunners’ goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, which lead to a quick brace from Nico O’Reilly. #kepa #arsenal #mancity #carabaocup #oreilly\n>\n> ♬ original sound – Metro Sport\n\nOn Man City’s hopes of catching Arsenal in the Premier League title race, Guardiola added: ‘I would love to have a nine-point lead, to be honest.\n\n‘It is in their hands, we’ve dropped points and that punishes us a lot but we will try, will we try.’\n\nWhile Arsenal missed out on a first major trophy since 2020, they remain in the driving seat to win their first Premier League title in 22 years, boasting a nine-point lead over second-placed Man City.\n\n> \"Wrighty, you were so upbeat before!\"\"Sky are pulling out all these figures to show how Arsenal can't do it!\" Ian Wright didn't like seeing that graphic 😅 pic.twitter.com/kBvMYbNNfJ\n>\n> — Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) March 22, 2026\n\nDiscussing the title race after the Carabao Cup final, Arsenal legend Ian Wright said: ‘It’s nine points, but Man City have a game in hand and they’ve got to play them, so it can go down to three.\n\n‘All of a sudden, the pressure really turns up. Make no mistake, this nine points is a tight nine points.\n\n‘Arsenal really need to refocus and get themselves back on track for what they want to do. They need to win games now.\n\n‘People talk about how they win games ‘oh it’s set pieces’ – it doesn’t matter, everyone knows that. We’ve got a DNA of winning games resiliently.\n\n‘They’ve got to kick into this because this team know it’s not over.’\n\nArsenal return to Premier League action following the international break against Bournemouth, while Manchester City’s next league game is against Chelsea.\n\n**For more stories like this, check our sport page**.\n\n**Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on**Facebook,** Twitter and Instagram**.\n\nComment now Comments \nAdd Metro as a Preferred Source on Google\nAdd as preferred source\n",
  "title": "Pep Guardiola makes huge Arsenal claim after Manchester City win Carabao Cup"
}