Nico O’Reilly calls on Man City teammates to build upon Arsenal win in Carabao Cup Final | OneFootball

Manchester City’s Carabao Cup Final match-winner Nico O’Reilly has called upon his teammates to build upon their Wembley success on Sunday afternoon.

City shattered Arsenal’s quadruple dreams by delivering a masterclass to secure the Carabao Cup trophy, as Pep Guardiola’s side systematically dismantled the Premier League leaders to reclaim their domestic cup throne.

The victory also cemented a historic milestone for Guardiola himself, who officially became the first manager in English football history to win the League Cup five times.

The breakthrough arrived on the hour mark following a huge error from Arsenal’s goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, who fumbled a delivery from Rayan Cherki, leaving Nico O’Reilly to capitalise on the blunder by pouncing with a stooping header.

The contest was effectively ended just four minutes later as O’Reilly struck again to complete a stunning quick-fire brace. Arriving with perfect timing at the far post, the academy graduate thundered home a cross from Matheus Nunes to spark wild celebrations on the City bench.

How did Nico O’Reilly react to his Wembley masterclass?

Speaking to broadcasters after his brace at Wembley, Nico O’Reilly reflected, “Unbelievable feeling! To win a final, to beat this team, we know how good they are. We need to build on it now, it’ll give us momentum, and buzzing with today.”

The Manchester City academy graduate continued, “A bit of disbelief to see the fans celebrate like that when I scored my goals. Really a good feeling.

“And a great weekend, a great birthday weekend. Since I was a kid, I always played midfield and was always arriving in the box and scoring goals. To bring it into a senior level and the highest level, it’s good for me and brings goals to my game. It’s a great feeling.”

O’Reilly went on to reveal, “My whole family came today. They’re all in the stand, they’ll be buzzing and I can’t wait to celebrate with them.”

What is the next challenge for Man City?

Manchester City now enter the March international break, in what will provide a brief reset before a high-stakes FA Cup quarter-final against Liverpool on Saturday, April 4 – a match that represents another chance to reach Wembley.

The Premier League title race remains the ultimate challenge, with City currently trailing the Gunners by nine points, albeit with a game in hand. The most pivotal date on the calendar is Sunday, April 19, when Arsenal visit the Etihad Stadium for a showdown that could decide the destination of the title.