London, March 23 (IANS) Manchester City beat Arsenal 2-0 in the EFL Cup final, with Nico O’Reilly scoring twice in a four-minute burst in the second half to seal the trophy.

It follows City’s four consecutive triumphs between 2018 and 2021 and marks the ninth League Cup trophy in their history, with only Liverpool winning it more times.

Pep Guardiola has now won the famous trophy five times as City manager – an English football record. He stands above Brian Clough, Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho (who all won four) as the manager with the most successes in the competition.

In total, he’s won 29 of his 39 games in the tournament, scoring 83 times and conceding just 26 goals.

The Carabao Cup was Pep’s first trophy as City boss, beating Arsenal 3-0 in 2018. Now, he’s added to that legacy and become the most successful manager since the competition’s inception in 1960.

City were the better side after halftime and deserved their win against an Arsenal team that looked short of its usual sharpness, perhaps feeling the effects of a demanding Champions League outing in midweek.

City captain Bernardo Silva, who has led the team with distinction throughout the season to date, described our latest trophy success as a special moment for all involved.

“This is an incredibly proud moment for everyone at City,” he said. “We love this competition and to win it by beating Arsenal, who have been excellent this season, is really special.

Man City now head into an international break, before returning to action against Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-final on April 4. Guardiola’s side will then switch focus to the Premier League the following weekend away at Chelsea.

City remain in contention for the Premier League title, with Guardiola’s side currently nine points adrift of leaders Arsenal with a game in hand.

–IANS

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