Highlight: Welbeck made double appearance against Brighton against Liverpool
Video credit: TNT Sports
Nico O’Reilly scored twice at Wembley Stadium to end the Gunners’ ambitious quadruple title dreams as Mikel Arteta awaits his first trophy since 2020.
However, his side still have three competitions to play and are currently on course to win their first title since 2004, nine points clear of Man City at the top of the Premier League with a game in hand.
Guardiola feels defeat in the League Cup final could give his rivals, who finished second in each of the past three seasons, the momentum to get them over the line for a fourth time.
After watching the game in which his team won the League Cup for the fifth time in his tenure, Manager Guardiola said, “I want to get to nine points to play in the Premier League.”
“I don’t think it will affect[Man City winning the League Cup]it’s a different competition and I’ll be more worried when they come to the Etihad.
“The Premier League is in their hands. We have a game and Arsenal are at home. We will try to win the game. Let’s see what happens.”
The League Cup, while not the biggest trophy on offer, became invaluable to Guardiola’s reign.
This was the first of 19 trophies he won during his time at Man City, and there is no doubt that it laid the foundation for the City manager’s success in the North West.
“Everyone knows that the Carabao Cup is not the Champions League or the Premier League, but if you beat that team (Arsenal), the title will be special,” he said after Sunday’s win.
Guardiola will be hoping City win against Arsenal in the Premier League and will be hoping to outdo his former assistant again when they face Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, April 19.
But while we know Arsenal are in pole position to win the title, has there ever been a team that lost the League Cup final and won the Premier League?
Can a team win the title after losing in the League Cup final?
Simply put, it does happen, but it’s probably not as often as you think.
Only twice in history have a team failed to lift the first trophy of the season after reaching the featured event and grinding themselves out in time to finish the job in the league.
Manchester United lost 3-1 to Aston Villa in the League Cup final in 1994, before running away from Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United to win their second of 13 titles under manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
And the second time happened less than a year ago, when Liverpool also won the Premier League for the second time after a disappointing 2-1 loss to Newcastle, ending the Magpies’ 70-year wait for a domestic trophy.
But how have teams fared in the title race, or the league as a whole, after losing in the League Cup final in recent history?
Season League Cup runners-up Premier League Final standings 2015/16 Liverpool 8th place 2016/17 Southampton 8th place 2017/18 Arsenal 6th place 2018/19 Chelsea 3rd place 2019/20 Aston Via LA 17th 2020/21 Tottenham Hotspur 7th 2021/22 Chelsea 3rd 2022/23 Newcastle 4th 2023/24 Chelsea 6th 2024/25 Liverpool 1st 2025/26 Arsenal?
