Arsenal 0-2 Manchester City Review

League Cup Final

After a series of disappointing results in the Champions League and Premier League, Manchester City were able to show the quality of the team that’s been developing under the surface. Stepping up in the second half, where they’ve struggled earlier this season. As we’ve seen in previous Cup Finals under Guardiola, it’s an academy graduate leading the way.

MOTM: NICO O’REILLY

Nico O'Reilly now has 13 goal contributions for Manchester City this season across all competitions. Equalling the best total Joao Cancelo put up during the 21/22 season, who had played 1,145 more minutes.

Notable Stats:

• Arsenal have lost each of their last four League Cup finals – now the outright longest run of finals without taking home the trophy by any side in the competition’s history.

• De Bruyne, Bernardo, Foden, and Stones are now all joint-top for most titles won by a player at Manchester City with 19.

• Nathan Ake and Abdukodir Khusanov have started five games together at CB this season. Beating Swansea (LC), Brentford (LC), Galatasaray (CL), Newcastle (LC, SF2), and Arsenal (LC). Three clean sheets and two goals conceded.

• Manchester City now boasts 15 wins at the new Wembley Stadium as a neutral venue since it opened in 2007 – now the most such victories of any side in that time at the national stadium, overtaking Chelsea’s 14.

• Pep Guardiola has won the League Cup for the fifth time, the most of any manager in the competition’s history, overtaking Brian Clough, Alex Ferguson, and José Mourinho.

• Aged 21 years and one day, Manchester City’s Nico O'Reilly is the third-youngest player to score a brace in a League Cup final, after Wayne Rooney for Man Utd v Wigan in 2006 (20y 125d) and Ronnie Whelan for Liverpool v Spurs in 1982 (20y 169d).

Game Stats:

Arsenal 0-2 Manchester City

• xG: 0.93 - 2.06

• xThreat: 1.04 - 1.45

• Possession: 38.9% - 61.1%

• Field Tilt: 34.0% - 66.0%

• Penalty Box Shots: 9 - 8

Antoine Semenyo (1,248) has played more minutes for Manchester City this season across all competitions than Savinho (1,186) and Marmoush (1,138).

Matheus Nunes is the first outfield City player this season to complete thirty full 90s. Ahead of Haaland (26), Dias (26), and O'Reilly (26).

Bernardo Silva (3,026) has now passed the 3,000-minute mark this season.

If you want to stay up-to-date on individual player minutes, back four combinations, underlying numbers, and more, check out the live Google sheet below. 👇

Trafford was expected to start, as he has for all the domestic cup games this season. Nathan Ake was a surprise after Dias picked up an injury. Progressing to a 3-2-5 in possession. Initially, in the 1st half, you had Semenyo out wide on the right, Cherki inside. He progressively shifted over to the right, where the space was, and in the second half, Manchester City were able to find him consistently to progress the ball.

Trossard had to choose between covering Nunes or Cherki. Semenyo would come inside to pin Hincapie. Either Cherki can now be found out wide as Trossard pressed Nunes, or he covers Cherki, and Nunes is free to drive up the pitch. That gave City a foothold in the Arsenal half towards the end of the 1st half, and where they capitalized in the 2nd.

There was a clear plan from Manchester City out-of-possession that you could see immediately caused confusion for the Arsenal players. The plan wasn’t to recover the ball high up the pitch. Instead, they removed the option of progressing through the middle. Setting up in a 4-2-4 with Haaland and Cherki tasked with being discplined closing the passing lanes, leaving the central defenders to try to play out from the back. Doku and Semenyo tucked inside.

United were able to cause problems and win the 23/24 FA Cup Final against City with this setup. Kovacic and Rodri deeper outside the front four of United, Foden and De Bruyne easily tracked between the lines by Mainoo and Casemiro. Doku would eventually come on at half-time, but it was too late. Then you saw in the Community Shield against them, the same 4-2-4 used, but this time Guardiola had solved for it with the 3-1-6. De Bruyne and Rico Lewis are finding the spaces on either side of the United pivot. Arsenal in this game didn’t know what to do.

Silva and Rodri left to plug the gaps behind, deal with second balls, and any movement from the likes of Havertz and Gyokeres dropping. Arsenal had to go over or around. If you go long, into the channels, that suits Khusanov. Silva and Rodri are supporting Ake and Khusanov to recover possession.

It was a tentative start from both teams, as you’d expect, figuring out where the spaces were to attack one another. The press by Man City caused them plenty of confusion. Early long balls and quick throws by Arsenal weren’t dealt with cleanly at first.

Incredible triple save by Trafford (7’) early on. A collection of mistakes tracking players between Doku, Rodri, and Ake leaves Havertz with a great chance to score, and Saka with two follow-up shots. That was the moment Arsenal needed to capitalize.

It was winning duels that gave Manchester City back control after Arsenal played long, winning the second balls, and moving into settled possession. 7/11 aerial duels won in the 1st half. Gyokeres and Havertz both won 0/4. Across the full match, Ake (4/4), O’Reilly (3/3), and Khusanov (1/1) won all of their aerial duels.

The joy for Man City began on the right side with Semenyo able to get the better of Hincapie a few times, delivering a couple of crosses into the box, but Haaland was not able to get a great connection on. The yellow card Hincapie picked up from his foul on Nunes killed any chance he had to be aggressive against Semenyo.

Towards the end of the first half, City began to build up some sustained possession, progressing down the right side. Semenyo tucking inside, Cherki pulling wide, and becoming the spare man. Then in the second half, as Guardiola spoke to the team at half-time, they focused on that space and exploited Arsenal.

Clear from the touch maps. Above is Cherki in the 1st half (top) compared to the 2nd (bottom). With Semenyo pinning Hincapie and pulling him into the box. Cherki on the touchline, Nunes deeper in a back three, Trossard had to choose which one to cover.

It was an excellent start to the second half by Man City, as you can see below with the passing maps, compared to Arsenal in that period. Including the two goals. Lots of joy coming down the right side.

As simple as it sounds. Winning your duels was another big factor in the 2nd half performance from City. For ground duels, it was only 49% in the first half but shot up to 66% in the second. Then, looking at individual Arsenal players, Zubimendi (1/4), Rice (3/7), Havertz (1/6), Gyokeres (2/7), and Hincapie (2/5), they all struggled.

O'Reilly 60' 1-0
That period eventually led to the opening goal. Rodri switches it out to Silva on the right side, Semenyo has Hincapie pinned, and Cherki tucked in brings Trossard with him, leaving the space on the right.

Semenyo moves into the box. Silva dribbles to the edge of the box before playing it through for Cherki underlapping. Kepa attempts to claim the cross, but loses the ball. O'Reilly, arriving in the 6-yard box, can get in front of Zubimendi and capitalize.

O'Reilly 64' 2-0
O'Reilly beats Havertz to the loose ball, back through to Jeremy Doku, who drives up the pitch, dribbles into the Arsenal box, and then passes it across to Nunes on the right.

Nunes passes to Rodri, overlaps, and receives the reverse pass heading to the byline. O'Reilly, you can see at this point, is still outside the box and not picked up by Saka.

Nunes doesn't rush the cross, picks his head up before delivering over the top. Gabriel comes across to close down the cross. Semenyo inside pulled Hincapie with him. Silva made the run into the 6-yard to occupy Saliba. All O'Reilly needed to do was get in front of Saka. Headed back across the keeper.

A crucial part of the goal was that Arsenal had their subs ready to come on. Calafiori and Madueke on for Havertz and Hincapie (66’). The moment they’re looking to change the game and find an equalizer, City doubles the lead.

There could have been a fitness issue, but the change of Calafiori for Hincapie seemed far too late. Especially with the yellow card in the first half, taking away any aggression he could use on Semenyo. The space being out wide for Arsenal, given the 4-2-4 press Manchester City used. That was clear with his shot (78’), hitting the post after making a 2v1 with Trossard against Nunes.

Last roll of the dice for Arsenal was Jesus and Martinelli coming on for Trossard and White (82’). Adding another striker on the pitch, Rice sat deeper as the RCB in possession, but they still struggled to sustain possession and consistently create chances to get back into the game. Jesus (88’) shot, hitting the post was the best one.

Manchester City were able to see out the final minutes. Winning the first trophy of the season. A huge moment for this new iteration of the team and a step back towards the level they held before the rebuild and struggles during last season.

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Moving Forward

For many players in the squad, this is their first trophy win for Manchester City. It’s why Semenyo joined in January, and already he’s done it. It’s vital to have the experience of winning handed over between iterations of the team. Especially with how this game panned out. You don’t need to dominate a final, but when you find the space to exploit, you have to take it. The team did that in the second half after growing into the game, and then saw out the final twenty minutes.

Khusanov (2,097) has played the 2nd most minutes by a City central defender this season, only behind Dias (2,556). Now, with that injury, he could go on to play the most this season. Tremendous development across this season, he’s handled some of the most dangerous attackers in Europe well, and still has plenty of room to improve. On track to be a staple of this new Manchester City team for a decade.

Important to mention on the flipside of the young players and new signings coming into their first Cup Final, you had Nathan Ake step up in what could be his last at the club. Big moment for him in his City career.

Next up for Manchester City is Liverpool (H) in the FA Cup on the 4th of April at 12:45 (UK), after the international break. For both sets of players, they’ll now need to process the Cup Final result over the break.

Liverpool beat Wolves (A) in the last round of the FA Cup and are through the Champions League Quarter Finals after beating Galatasaray. They travel to play PSG on Wednesday evening, the following week.

This could have implications for the title race. For both teams. If Manchester City win their game in hand, and Arsenal drop points, that gap comes down to 3-4 points ahead of a game at the Etihad. But we’ll have to wait and see how each team handles the result once back from the international break.

If you’re looking for more content on the game, then you can check out the latest 9320 podcast review, which I appeared on, linked below. 👇