By Desire Emmanuel
The quest for trophy continues to be a mirage for Arsenal as Nico O’Reilly scored twice when Manchester City beat the sluggish North London side in Carabao Cup final played at the Wembley Stadium on Sunday, March 22.
A fast start from the Gunners soon fizzled out and City took control of the showpiece as it progressed.
It was Arsenal who made the early running under Wembley’s arch, with James Trafford forced into a stunning triple save to deny Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka twice in the seventh minute.
That buoyed Man City’s fantastic travelling support and the Blues enjoyed more possession from there, with wingers Jeremy Doku and Antoine Semenyo regularly taking their full-backs on.
The scores remained level at the break, but two quickfire headers from O’Reilly soon after set City up for another Cup success, and sent Pep Guardiola dancing down the touchline.
The 20-year-old Academy graduate was the hero from left-back, getting into the box twice in five minutes to head home and ensure an unforgettable occasion.
In what was the first ever League Cup final between the top two sides in the country, the Blues were more than a match for the current Premier League leaders every step of the way in and out of possession.
It is the fourth League Cup final defeat in a row for Arsenal, who will now concentrate on winning the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup, a feat many soccer pundits said may be a mirage.
