Arsenal 0-2 Manchester City: Nico O’Reilly scores twice on birthday weekend as City win Carabao Cup | OneFootball

Nico O’Reilly scored both goals as Manchester City beat Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley on Sunday.

A triple save from James Trafford was the standout moment of the first half, but it was a calamitous error from his opposite number after the break that allowed the 21-year-old, who celebrated his birthday yesterday, to nod into an open goal.

And just four minutes later, the left-back found the back of the net again from a Matheus Nunes cross.

Victory at Wembley comes just days after Manchester City exited the UEFA Champions League at the hands of Real Madrid, and keeps their hopes of a domestic treble alive. Arsenal, meanwhile, see their 2,059 day wait for a major trophy continue.

As it happened

Arsenal started well under the arch on Sunday afternoon, breaking forward through Viktor Gyokeres with just five minutes on the clock as Mikel Arteta’s side looked to bring an end to their major silverware drought – but the chance came to nothing, as Kai Havertz arrived late in the box and conceded a foul.

Still, the Gunners kept pushing and forced a remarkable triple save from James Trafford mere moments later. Martin Zubimendi’s ball through for Havertz saw the German test the deputising goalkeeper, with Bukayo Saka twice attempting to pick up the pieces and smash home the rebound but to no avail.

Mikel Arteta’s men could not make their early advantage count though, and as tempers began to flare at Wembley, it was Manchester City’s Antoine Semenyo who began to run the show from the right flank. His well-placed cross for Erling Haaland evaded the Norwegian by just a matter of inches, with Jérémy Doku able to win a corner as the ball sailed through the box. Nothing came from the set piece.

Semenyo then found his way past a struggling Piero Hincapié just before the half-hour mark, though his attempt to cut the ball back into the centre of the box was halted by a fine intervention from Gabriel, who forced a corner. Bernardo Silva’s delivery was cleared well by the Arsenal defence.

And it was the Ghanaian who forced the final chance of the half, too, after breezing past Declan Rice and dinking a ball into the danger zone for Haaland. The 25-year-old, under pressure from Ben White, turned his header over the crossbar.

The first half had been a rather cagey affair – one that perhaps some would label as a snoozefest. But controversy presented itself just minutes after the break, as Kepa Arrizabalaga saw yellow after holding back Doku outside of the penalty area.

Matheus Nunes’ long ball over the top had sent the Belgian beyond the Arsenal back line, forcing the Gunners’ deputy goalkeeper to rush out. Beaten to the ball, he opted to hold him back but escaped with a yellow card, avoiding a dismissal for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity due to Doku’s wide position. Semenyo whipped the resulting free-kick wide of the far post.

Arsenal’s sluggish start to the second half proved costly when Kepa – preferred to David Raya – made a calamitous error, letting Rayan Cherki’s cross slip through his grasp for Nico O’Reilly to head into an empty net.

The left-back, who celebrated his 21st birthday on Saturday, then doubled his side’s lead just four minutes later. Getting the better of Saka at the back post, O’Reilly steered another header over the line – this time from a Nunes cross – becoming the third-youngest player to score twice in a League Cup final (behind only Wayne Rooney and Ronnie Whelan in 2006 and 1982 respectively).

Manchester City would surely not let a two-goal lead slip with less than 30 minutes to play, although they were given a momentary scare when a Riccardo Calafiori effort skipped just wide of the target.

Still, there was a gulf in quality between the two sides – and it is Manchester City who lift the first major domestic trophy of the season, and one that has the potential to shift the momentum in the race for the Premier League title.

Man City analysis: Now that’s how you celebrate

You’d be hard-pressed to think of a better way to celebrate your 21st birthday weekend than scoring both goals as your boyhood club lift major silverware at Wembley.

Nico O’Reilly is as Mancunian as they come. Growing up in Collyhurst, just a few miles from the Etihad Stadium, the versatile youngster progressed through the club’s academy before cementing his place in Pep Guardiola’s first-team squad.

There, it is his versatility that makes him such an asset. Skilled in midfield, solid at left-back – and as demonstrated on Sunday, rather composed in front of goal – it is no wonder that the Spaniard has placed his trust in the local lad as City vie for a domestic treble.

And the impact of Carabao Cup victory isn’t lost on the youngster, who explained to The Guardian that “the final potentially could have an impact on the [Premier League] title,” with Arsenal leading the way by nine points, although City have a game in hand.“I’m really enjoying it,” O’Reilly told The Telegraph in the buildup to Sunday’s final – and you’ve got to imagine that he’s enjoying it just a little more right now.