Arsenal 0-2 Man City: Nico O'Reilly joins elite Pep Guardiola list as EFL Cup win increases Mikel Arteta Premier League doubts

By Lewis Nolan | 22 Mar 2026 19:19

O'Reilly makes history and joins elite list as City increase Arteta PL doubts

Nico O'Reilly has now scored the joint most goals Manchester City in major cup finals since Pep Guardiola took charge of the club.

The Citizens claimed the first piece of silverware of the English season, beating rivals Arsenal 2-0 in the EFL Cup final on Sunday thanks to an inspired second-half at Wembley.

Guardiola's side dominated possession, and they made their dominance count when Nico O'Reilly crashed the box twice from left-back to score twice after the interval.

His two headers saw him become the joint highest scorer in major finals for City since Guardiola came to the club in 2016-17.

Ilkay Gundogan, Gabriel Jesus, Raheem Sterling, David Silva, Sergio Aguero and Rodri have also scored twice in finals for City under the head coach, and there may be an opportunity for O'Reilly to claim top spot should the team reach the FA Cup final.

What went wrong for Arsenal and Mikel Arteta at Wembley?

The Gunners enjoyed some success early in the game, but they allowed their opponents to grow into the match, failing to take advantage of a weakened City backline.

Marc Guehi, Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol were all absent on Sunday, but it is concerning that Mikel Arteta's side only managed to produce one shot on target in the second half.

Arsenal struggled to escape their own box, though it seemed as if the team were set up to defend deep given the likes of Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz often retreated into their own penalty area.

Critics have accused Arteta of implementing a risk-averse strategy, and it is hard to argue against those claims considering how little of the ball his side had on Sunday.

Could EFL Cup final win impact Premier League title race?

Arsenal boast a nine-point advantage over the Citizens in the Premier League, but it should be noted that City have a game in hand, and they will host the Londoners at the Etihad in April.

The Gunners have often faltered at key moments during Arteta's time at the Emirates, and if the gap at the top was cut to three points, the team's nerves could get the better of them.

Supporters should still be confident given their team are in a strong position, but it would be understandable if fans were fearing the worst.