City Lift The Cup as Arsenal's Wembley Curse Continues

For every Zambian supporter who stayed up late to watch this one, the final whistle brought a familiar feeling. Another Wembley final, another Arsenal heartbreak.

Manchester City claimed the 2026 Carabao Cup in front of 88,486 fans at Wembley, with 21-year-old Nico O'Reilly delivering a match-winning brace that will be talked about for years. The first half was tight and cagey. Arsenal looked bright in attack and defensively solid, forcing City keeper James Trafford into some early heroics, but the Gunners were made to pay dearly for their missed chances.

The turning point came on 59 minutes when stand-in goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga gifted City their first, fumbling Rayan Cherki's cross with O'Reilly on hand to head home from close range. It was the kind of error that makes you cover your eyes. Four minutes later, O'Reilly headed in again to kill the contest stone dead.

With the win, Pep Guardiola became the most successful manager in League Cup history with five titles, surpassing Sir Alex Ferguson and Brian Clough. And you can be sure his players will carry that momentum into the Premier League, where City are breathing down Arsenal's neck in one of the tightest title races in years. The Gunners currently lead the table, but this defeat will sting. Guardiola knows that psychological edges matter when championships are decided by fine margins.

Arsenal's wait for silverware goes on with seven League Cup final defeats, but still no trophy. The nearly men tag is hard to shake, and with the title race still very much alive, Mikel Arteta cannot afford to let this Wembley nightmare linger.