‘i Can’t Believe How Good We Were’: Pep Guardiola Hails City’s Carabao Cup Win

A delighted Pep Guardiola admitted disbelief astatine Manchester City’s second-half dismantling of Arsenal successful which Nico O’Reilly’s double claimed nan Carabao Cup astatine Wembley.

With Sunday’s’s last goalless astatine half-time, O’Reilly’s headers successful nan 60th and 64th minutes gave City nan season’s first trophy, a 5th League Cup of Guardiola’s tenure and nan 16th awesome honour wide of his decade successful charge.

The head said: “Not moreover maine gave 1 lb to nan triumph today. We could not triumph against Nottingham Forest location aliases West Ham distant [in nan Premier League], we mislaid 5-1 aggregate against Madrid [in nan Champions League past 16]. But nan players beryllium again – nan aged ones and particularly nan caller ones – that erstwhile required to do thing during a play successful which we person not been consistent, coming we achieved it.

“Especially without nan shot and pinch nan shot successful nan 2nd half, was unbelievably good. I could not judge really unbelievably bully we had done successful nan 2nd half. It’s really important for nan nine arsenic well, not conscionable nan young guys. James [Trafford, nan goalkeeper] saved america successful nan first minutes. Everybody made a publication – Max Alleyne [City’s young defender] played astatine Newcastle successful nan semi-final pinch a batch of injuries. These competitions we request everybody involved.

Pep Guardiola celebrates pinch Rodri aft Manchester City’s first trophy of nan season. Photograph: Kieran McManus/Shutterstock

“Today I made 1 substitution, yes [with Phil Foden coming on], and it is ne'er complete astatine 2-0 but I felt nan squad was there. Jérémy [Doku] kept nan ball, Antoine [Semenyo] arsenic good and Bernardo [Silva] and Rodri. I deliberation what I said successful nan erstwhile days: nan squad has been thing underneath [the very best] but I tin smell that they tin flourish and winning helps to expect nan process a small bit.

“They suffocated america successful nan first 15 minutes but aft that we started to triumph 2nd balls. The Carabao Cup is not nan Champions League aliases nan Premier League but winning against that squad makes nan title special. A 5th Carabao Cup successful 10 years is not bad. Every clip you triumph a title it looks much difficult than successful nan past. It is really difficult for galore reasons.”

Guardiola celebrated O’Reilly’s 2nd extremity by sprinting down nan touchline. This came aft he was booked erstwhile celebrating nan opener.

“I wanted different yellowish card, that was nan target,” Guardiola said. “If I cannot observe against that squad pinch nan measurement we are playing, past when? Emotions are related to nan measurement we are playing. Give maine different yellowish card, I’m not yet artificial intelligence. I’m a quality being and I want to celebrate. It’s not nary respect for Arsenal, I conscionable observe pinch my people. I’m a quality being pinch emotions and I definitive it.”

Mikel Arteta says it was ‘right, honorable and fair’ to instrumentality pinch Kepa Arrizabalaga contempt nan goalkeeper’s correction for City’s first goal. Photograph: Javier García/Shutterstock

Guardiola hailed O’Reilly’s contribution. “Maybe he was nan signing of nan play [the defender agreed a caller woody successful September]. When we started nan play we had a agelong speech pinch him. He started to play astatine left-back and impressed a lot. He tin play successful galore roles. He scored 2 awesome goals.”

Guardiola shrugged disconnected nan mobility of whether nan triumph would impact nan title race. City are 9 points down Arsenal, pinch a crippled successful hand, and big Mikel Arteta’s squad adjacent month. “I would for illustration to beryllium 9 points ahead,” he said.

O’Reilly, who turned 21 connected Saturday, said: “An astonishing day. We came retired to nan 2nd half connected apical and dominated. We are going to observe coming and past world break.”

Meanwhile, Arteta defended his action of Kepa Arrizabalaga contempt his second-choice goalkeeper dropping nan shot to let O’Reilly’s opening goal.

“I person to do what I consciousness is right, honorable and adjacent and he’s played each nan title and it would person been very, very unfair for him to do thing different,” Arsenal’s head said. “We’re going to usage this disappointment and this occurrence successful nan belly to person nan astir astonishing 2 months that we person ever had together.”

Eberechi Eze was unavailable pinch a calf problem truthful has withdrawn from nan England squad.