It will be remembered as the Nico O'Reilly Final. The 21-year-old left-back — who turned 21 the day before — scored twice in four second-half minutes at Wembley to hand Manchester City a 2-0 victory over Arsenal and their record ninth EFL Cup.
Both goals were headers. Both came from crosses down City's right. And the first will haunt Arsenal all summer.
On the hour mark, Rayan Cherki delivered a routine cross from the right. Kepa Arrizabalaga — selected ahead of first-choice David Raya, maintaining Arsenal's policy of using their backup goalkeeper in cup competitions — went to claim it. The ball slipped through his gloves. O'Reilly wriggled past Martin Zubimendi and nodded into an open net from two yards.
Four minutes later it was over. Matheus Nunes chipped a hanging cross to the far post and O'Reilly attacked it with conviction, heading back across Kepa and into the top corner. 2-0. Wembley erupted in sky blue.
Arsenal had been the better side for much of the first half. James Trafford — City's cup keeper — produced a brilliant triple save to deny Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka in the seventh minute. But they could not score. And in a cup final, you pay for that.
After going two down, Arsenal struck the woodwork twice — Calafiori clipping the post, Gabriel Jesus heading off the crossbar — but City held firm. Pep Guardiola becomes the first manager ever to win the EFL Cup five times, surpassing Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho. Arsenal are runners-up for a record seventh time. Their last major trophy remains the 2020 FA Cup.
The quadruple is gone. But Arsenal remain nine points clear in the Premier League, still in the FA Cup and in the Champions League quarter-finals. The season is not over. But today will sting.
