What was meant to be Arsenal’s day at Wembley quickly turned into a day the club’s manager, players and fans would rather forget. Despite being pre-match favourites, the Gunners were humbled by Manchester City in a match that demonstrated where Mikel Arteta’s team must improve in the future.
Arsenal’s Spanish manager Mikel Arteta looks on during the English League Cup final football match between Arsenal and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium in London on March 22, 2026. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP via Getty Images)
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City set up to frustrate Arsenal in possession during the Carabao Cup final. Pep Guardiola asked his forward players to stand off the Gunners as they played out from the back, not pressing them high, but forming a line of confrontation inside the opposition half to prevent the opposition from finding passing lanes into the centre of the field.
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With Eberechi Eze and Martin Odegaard unavailable through injury, Arsenal lacked any sort of creativity through the midfield and into the final third. Kai Havertz was deployed as a number 10 behind Viktor Gyokeres, but the German isn’t nimble enough to create on the ball in tight spaces.
Between the start of the second half and the 71st minute, Arsenal failed to register a single progressive pass. It was in this period that Manchester City took a grip of the game. By the time Arteta made changes from the bench, the contest had already been settled. There was no way back.
Arteta was in a ponderous mood on the touchline. The Spaniard is a shrewd operator and surely watched Sunday’s Carabao Cup final well aware of why his team lost the game and why Manchester City was able to impose themselves. Arsenal’s next evolution must take place before the start of next season.
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LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 22: Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber of Arsenal react after the team’s defeat in the Carabao Cup Final match between Arsenal and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on March 22, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
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This season could still be special for Arsenal even after Sunday’s humbling loss to Manchester City. The Gunners are still clear at the top of the Premier League table, are into the quarter-finals of the Champions League and are still involved in the FA Cup. An historic Treble is still much on the cards for Arteta and his players.
Nonetheless, Arsenal must keep moving forward to stay ahead of its rivals and it’s clear the North London outfit must find more ways to score goals. Arteta needs another half-space midfielder who can get on the turn and play forward. Looking at the team that started against City, it might be easiest to upgrade the left side of the forward line.
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Arsenal is in a good place for the future. Its squad is still one of the youngest in the Premier League and there is room for improvement. Arteta and his players were left disappointed by the defeat in the Carabao Cup final, but they must take encouragement from how far they have already come.