Club journalist Rob Pollard has taken a look back at some of the day’s major talking points...
1City’s old guard deliver again
There have been vast alterations to the squad since the arrival of Pep Guardiola, who has revolutionised City during his time in charge.
The average age of the squad has dropped significantly and there’s a vibrancy to the team’s play that was lacking before his appointment.
But it was three of City’s established stars who did the damage on Sunday.
Sergio Aguero, Vincent Kompany and David Silva – who between them have won 18 major trophies and made close to 1000 appearances for the Club – each scored to dismantle Arsenal and seal City’s third League Cup triumph in five years.
Those three players have been central to City’s improvement over the last decade and it was fitting to see them make telling contributions on a day seen by many as the start of a new era of success.
2City in good Kompany
Indeed, it wasn’t just Kompany’s goal and iconic celebration that caught the eye, his all-round display saw him deservedly handed the man-of-the-match award.
This was vintage Kompany: pace, strength, fight and a desire to win at all costs.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is one of Europe’s quickest and most dangerous forwards, yet Kompany dealt with his threat all afternoon, minimising his impact and limiting him to scraps.
On one occasion, a ball over the top looked to have set Aubameyang clear, but Kompany showed a superb turn of pace to get back in and ease the Gabon striker off the ball.
It was a majestic performance from a genuine City legend.
3Bravo!
And Claudio Bravo wasn’t far behind Kompany on a special day for the Chilean, whose performances in the previous rounds of the competition had been key to securing City’s place at Wembley.
He made a fine stop to deny Aubameyang from inside the six-yard box with the score at 0-0, and then produced perhaps the finest long-range pass of the season to assist Aguero for the opener.
He was calm and assured throughout, always quick off his line to deal with Arsenal’s long balls over the top to Aubameyang, whose pace in behind is one of Arsenal’s most potent weapons.
4The start of glittering era?
Can City’s victory in the Carabao Cup lead to more success?
“If you win titles, you have to win more,” Guardiola said afterwards “If we play like we did in the second half, we can compete. That is our target.”
We currently sit 13 points clear at the top of the Premier League table, with a game in hand of second-placed Manchester United. Six more wins and the title is ours.
But perhaps more significant is the brand of football we are now producing on a regular basis.
Guardiola has instilled a high-intensity attacking style that looks capable of allowing us to compete with Europe’s best in the coming seasons.
Only time will tell but this squad looks capable of building on Sunday’s Carabao Cup win.
5League Cup love affair
This was our fifth League Cup success. Only Liverpool with eight have managed more.
And our five victories have come from six final appearances, with our only loss coming in the 1974 final to Wolves.
We have a storied history in the competition and long may it continue.
