Arsenal 0-2 Man City, EFL Cup 2025-26 Final: O'Reilly's Brace Helps Citizens Clinch Title Victory

Wembley Stadium, London — Manchester City captured the first major domestic trophy of the 2025-26 campaign, defeating Arsenal 2-0 in Sunday’s English League Cup final to hand Pep Guardiola his fifth triumph in this competition as City manager.

The breakthrough arrived just after the hour mark when Manchester-born left-back Nico O’Reilly, a product of the club’s academy, reacted quickest to a Kepa Arrizabalaga fumble and headed home the opener. Four minutes later, O’Reilly rose unmarked to nod in a second, effectively sealing the contest and sparking jubilant scenes among the City support.

The brace from the 20-year-old defender proved decisive, ending Arsenal’s hopes of an unprecedented quadruple and delivering Guardiola his 16th major trophy during his tenure in Manchester. Across his managerial career, the Catalan has now amassed 34 titles, including successes at Barcelona and Bayern Munich.

Sunday’s result may also resonate beyond the confines of the cup, handing City a timely psychological edge ahead of the Premier League run-in. Guardiola’s side sits second, nine points behind league-leading Arsenal with a match in hand, and the pair are still scheduled to meet at the Etihad Stadium.

Speaking to Sky Sports pitch-side, O’Reilly beamed: “My whole family came down today … I know they’ll be buzzing and I can’t wait to see them.”

With the League Cup secured, City turn their attention to sustaining momentum on all remaining fronts, while Arsenal must regroup quickly to preserve their advantage in the title race and keep their Champions League and FA Cup dreams alive.