Guardiola says beating Arsenal makes Carabao Cup win more special – but insists it will have ‘no impact’ on Premier League title race | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola says beating Arsenal and playing as well as they did against one of the best teams in Europe makes winning the Carabao Cup more special.

Two goals from Nico O’Reilly gave City a 2-0 win at Wembley.

And Guardiola admits even he was surprised by both how well his side played, and also how far O’Reilly has come in such a short space of time.

“Alongside Bayern Munich and maybe Barcelona as well, the best team in Europe,” Guardiola said on Arsenal.

“We made an incredible victory. In the end the Carabao Cup is not the Champions League or Premier League, everybody knows that, but winning against that team makes this title special.

“The players proved again, old ones and especially the new ones, that when we’re required to do something that during the season we are not consistent to do, especially without the ball, against that team Arsenal (we can).

“You achieve that level, or no chance, and today we achieved it, especially without the ball. With the ball, in the second half, against that team was unbelievable. I could not believe how good we have done it.”

On O’Reilly’s development, Guardiola added: “It’s a surprise even for me. The season he has done so far is extraordinary.”

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After the international break, the attention turns back to the Premier League with Arsenal still holding a nine-point lead over City at the top of the table though having played a game more.

The City boss, however, believes their Carabao Cup win will not change what happens in the Premier League.

“I would like to have nine points in front of Arsenal,” he joked.

“It will have no impact. Different competitions and they will be (focused) when they come to the Etihad, I don’t know what the situation will be.

“That title helps us a lot for the quarter final against Liverpool at home (in the FA Cup), that’s for sure, with our people.

“For that game it will help us but the Premier League is in their hands. I think they punish us a lot.

“There were two periods when we were incredible, top, top, top. Against Sunderland, that magnificent game we played there, and Chelsea and Brighton at home.

“These draws, they punish us a lot in terms of points, against Nottingham Forest and West Ham in the last ones.

“But we have one game in hand, we have Arsenal at home, and (then) three points difference (by winning both).

“But is that team going to drop points? We’re going to try to win our games and we’ll see what happens.”

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