Arsenal News: Arsenal suffered a painful 2-0 defeat to Manchester City in the 2026 Carabao Cup Final at Wembley on Sunday. The most honest conversation coming out of the dressing room doesn’t focus on what Mikel Arteta did. Instead, it centers on what he waited too long to do.
The Gunners started the game fast. Arsenal poured on the pressure early. Ben White and Martin Zubimendi combined to thread Kai Havertz through. However, James Trafford rushed out quickly. He blocked the clipped effort. Bukayo Saka forced two more saves in that same sequence. City looked completely lost defensively in those opening minutes. Arsenal genuinely looked like the sharper, more purposeful side. Yet, they lacked a striker who could actually punish City’s messy defending.
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That is the heart of the problem. Arteta picked Viktor Gyokeres as the lone striker. Kai Havertz played in a number ten role behind him. Martin Odegaard missed the game with a knee injury. Eberechi Eze also failed a late fitness test. The starting lineup lacked natural width. It lacked runners who could sprint in behind the defence. Saka and Leandro Trossard tried to create from wide areas. But City’s defence, even without Rúben Dias, handled that threat easily as the first half ended.
City eventually found their rhythm. They kept 73 percent of the ball during a ten-minute spell in the second half. This changed the game completely. Then came the moment that broke Arsenal’s spirit. Rayan Cherki floated a cross into Kepa Arrizabalaga’s hands. The keeper dropped it. Nico O’Reilly finished the play calmly to open the scoring. O’Reilly scored a second goal minutes later. That goal effectively ended the match.
Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli finally came off the bench. With them on the pitch, Arsenal played with more energy. They became the dominant team in the final minutes. City simply sat deep and protected their lead. Nathan Aké played brilliantly in that phase. The problem was simple: those two substitutions arrived much too late. They couldn’t change the game’s shape or the score.
Arteta should have brought on Martinelli around the hour mark. Martinelli is a fast, direct attacker who can stretch a defence. He would have given Arsenal a real physical edge when City looked vulnerable. Instead, the tactical switch came after O’Reilly’s two goals had already decided the game. It felt like a hollow gesture rather than a real attempt to win.
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The big takeaway from the Arsenal camp this week is a hard truth. The squad Arteta chose didn’t have the depth to hurt City when they had the chance. Worse, the manager reacted too late to save the final.
