Ake: I’m very happy with Carabao Cup success

Wembley, Sunday – Nathan Ake hailed Manchester City’s 2-0 Carabao Cup final victory over Arsenal as “very special” and believes the triumph can ignite a late-season push on multiple fronts.

Second-half goals from 20-year-old midfielder Nico O’Reilly sealed City’s first trophy since 2023 and delivered Ake his second League Cup medal since arriving at the Etihad in 2020. The Dutch defender, now 31, collected his 11th major honour with the club and underlined the importance of returning to winning ways after a barren 2025-26 campaign.

“Obviously, last season we didn’t win anything so we wanted to win something this season,” Ake told reporters pitch-side. “This was a perfect way to do it against title contenders. It was a good win.”

City dominated the second period against Mikel Arteta’s side, and O’Reilly’s brace capped an impressive individual display that highlighted the club’s next generation. Ake, one of the senior figures in Pep Guardiola’s squad, praised the youngsters’ mentality and stressed that standards at the club never drop.

“Suddenly, you’re one of the older ones – it’s a bit weird!” he smiled. “We have a lot of young and talented players, but as you saw, a lot of mentality as well. The manager already touched on it every day in training and in meetings, that we’re expected to win.”

The victory narrows the psychological gap to Arsenal, who lead City by nine points in the Premier League but have played one more match. With an FA Cup quarter-final still to come, Ake insists the squad will chase every available prize.

“It’s a massive boost,” he said of lifting the Carabao Cup. “Every title is one you take. This gives a little boost. We go again after the international break and you never know what can happen. We have the FA Cup as well. We’re going to give everything and then we’ll see.”

City now head into the international break buoyed by silverware and determined to ensure the 2026-27 season ends with more trophies in the cabinet.