^ ^ Freddie Ljungberg sends Premier League title warning to Arsenal after Man City defeat

Arsenal have given Manchester City a confidence boost with their performance, says Freddie Ljungberg (Picture: Getty)

Freddie Ljungberg says Arsenal have risked giving Manchester City renewed hope in the Premier League title race with a potentially momentum-shifting showing in the Carabao Cup final.

Nico O’Reilly was the unlikely hero for City, scoring two headers to seal a comfortable 2-0 victory, and Arsenal offered very little by way of a response in what was a limp and uninspiring performance on the big stage.

The Gunners never got going in the second half and Pep Guardiola’s men were gifted their breakthrough on the hour-mark as Kepa Arrizabalaga spilled Rayan Cherki’s cross into the path of O’Reilly, who snuck in ahead of Martin Zubimendi and nodded home from close range.

Just four minutes later, City had a second and this time Matheus Nunes was the provider with a pinpoint ball from the right, with Kepa unable to get a glove to O’Reilly’s emphatic header from the edge of the six-yard box.

Mikel Arteta sent on Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus with a view to adding some added impetus, but the Premier League leaders come up short in their attempts to reduce the deficit.

The result ensured Arsenal finish runners-up in the League Cup for a record seventh time. City, by contrast, have made the trophy their own under Guardiola, lifting the prize for a fifth time under the Spaniard – and a ninth time in their history.

‘It’s a hard one to take,’ Arteta told reporters shortly after the final whistle.

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Kepa was at fault for City’s opener on the hour-mark (Picture: Getty)

O’Reilly scored twice to send City to a ninth League Cup victory (Picture: Getty)

‘It’s very sad, especially for our players and our supporters because we know how much it means to them, and how much we want it.

‘The fact we haven’t managed to deliver that and obviously it’s disappointing.’

On his bold decision to start Kepa over established number one David Raya, Arteta replied: ‘I have to do what I think is right, and I think we have an understanding keeping on Kepa.

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‘He played all the competition and I think it would have been very unfair to him and the team to do something different.

‘Errors are the power of football, and today, unfortunately, it happened at a crucial moment.’

Arsenal must lick their wounds and regroup ahead of their FA Cup quarter-final clash with Southampton after the upcoming international break.

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In a crucial period, the Gunners then face Sporting in the Champions League quarter-finals, before returning to Premier League action at home to Bournemouth on April 11.

‘It is a blow. The talk of the town, that’s Arsenal. Arsenal are the new ones coming in,’ ex-Arsenal winger Ljungberg said of the Gunners’ setback at Wembley.

‘They are doing amazing in the Champions League, it was the quadruple, everything was going their way.

‘Manchester City had a Champions League run, they’ve been heavily criticised, but all of a sudden, they demolish Arsenal a little bit.’

The Swede added: ‘It was 2-0, they had the ball all the time and I think it’s going to be hard for them.

‘I think they feel they’re going to win the league but if you look at this here, they’re going to go to the Etihad and I would imagine City would be like, “We’ll take three points there!”

‘Of course there’s a break now but then they probably need to go clean [slate] because if City now gears up and goes clean…’

Fortunately for Arsenal, they still hold a nine-point advantage over City at the top of the Premier League table after Guardiola’s side were held to a 1-1 at West Ham last time out.

The top two meet again on April 19 at the Etihad, where Arsenal will have a shot at redemption and an opportunity to exact revenge for their Wembley disappointment.

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^ ^ Danny Murphy names ‘biggest impact’ Arsenal defeat to Man City will have

Pep Guardiola got the better of Mikel Arteta at Wembley (Picture: Getty Images)

Danny Murphy reckons the next Premier League meeting between Arsenal and Manchester City will be different thanks to Sunday’s Carabao Cup final.

City beat the Gunners 2-0 at Wembley, with Nico O’Reilly scoring both goalsin a pretty comfortable victory for Pep Guardiola’s side.

Mikel Arteta’s men were under-par in the final and saw their hopes of a quadruple end, but they remain on course for some huge prizes this season.

Arsenal sit nine points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League and are into the quarter-finals of both the Champions League and FA Cup.

Second-place City do have a game in hand on the leaders and host the Gunners in the Premier League in April, so the title race is not over just yet.

Former Liverpool and Tottenham midfielder Murphy still fancies Arsenal to get the job done, but does think Sunday’s defeat will be firmly in Arteta’s head when the sides meet again.

‘I think for me, personally, the biggest impact will be the next time they play each other in April, because when you’ve just played one of your rivals and you’ve lost it changes, maybe, your plan and how you go into it,’ Murphy said on Match of the Day.

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Two-goal Nico O’Reilly was Manchester City’s hero (Picture: Getty Images)

‘That would be the only small…I say small, it’s going to be a big game, but I think Arsenal will be fine in the next few weeks and the games they play, they’re going to be more determined than ever.

‘But that fixture where they come up against a team that’s just beaten them in a cup final, it just changes that mindset a little bit, I think you give them that little bit more respect.’

Manchester City are now out of the Champions League, meaning they are potentially more focussed on the Premier League than their rivals and former City goalkeeper Joe Hart expects them to pile the pressure on Arsenal now.

Arsenal produced an underwhelming performance (Picture: Getty Images)

‘I think it’s a big moment for Manchester City, I think to get that silverware after a trophyless season last season,’ he said.

‘If they go down, they’re going to go down swinging, but they’re going to believe they can do it.’

Guardiola was sensible in his take on the situation after the Wembley win, saying that Arsenal are clearly in a very favourable position, but his team will do their best to make it difficult for them.

‘I would like to [be] nine points in front of Arsenal,’ he said. ‘But I don’t know if we’d change that for the trophy, nine points to fight for the Premier League.

‘I know it will have no impact. Different competitions. The Premier League is in their hands and they punish us a lot.

Arsenal 0-2 Man City - Metro at the Match

Manchester City have secured the first silverware of the season after Arsenal failed to deliver at Wembley.

The quadruple dream is over and the Gunners must now pick up the pieces after a sobering setback.

For City, it has breathed life into their campaign after a dismal Champions League exit this week.

@metrosportuk

Kepa won’t want to watch that one back 😬 Manchester City beat Arsenal 2-0 in the Carabao Cup final following a huge mistake from the Gunners’ goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, which lead to a quick brace from Nico O’Reilly. #kepa #arsenal #mancity #carabaocup #oreilly

♬ original sound - Metro Sport

Kepa gamble backfires spectacularly

Mikel Arteta decided to keep faith in Kepa Arrizabalaga after starting the Spaniard in each round of the competition leading up to the final at Wembley today.

Pep Guardiola did likewise with James Trafford, but it was Arsenal who paid the price for dropping one of their best players. From the moment the second-half kicked off, Kepa dallied on the ball, inviting the pressure that would inevitably swarm all over the Gunners and trigger their downfall.

Raya has been spectacular this season, the best goalkeeper in the Premier League by some margin and in sublime form. Had he started, Sunday may have been a very different story.

Arsenal still have plenty left to fight for (Picture: Getty)

Old Arsenal fears reignited

We have seen Arsenal collapse in the past. Past failures have so often been used as a stick to beat them with but things have felt different this season.

Victory today would have gone some way in erasing the lingering fears over another derailment . But defeat at Wembley could serve as a catalyst for something much bleaker.

Arteta got his biggest decision on the day wrong (Picture: Getty)

Arsenal are still fighting on three fronts, in control of the Premier League title race and well-placed to continue marching on in Europe. But the effects of today could be season-altering. The woeful second-half showing was as bad as anything served up by them this term on the stage where they needed to be their best.

O'Reilly steps up

City needed a hero at Wembley and they found a home-grown one. With Phil Foden only coming on as an injury time substitute, left-back O'Reilly stepped up as City's savour with two headers to save their season.

City were fantastic in the second period to a man and fed off Arsenal's apprehension but it was the 21-year-old set the standard when they needed inspiration.  

Tony Mogan, live sports editor

‘There were two periods. We were incredible, top, top, top against Sunderland away. Magnificent game we played there. And Chelsea and Brighton at home. These three draws, they punish us a lot in terms of points. Nottingham Forest and West Ham the last ones. Maybe we will regret until the end.

‘But we have one game in hand. We have Arsenal at home. We’re going to try to win our games and we’ll see what happens.’

Arteta hopes defeat at Wembley will provide motivation for his players with big challenges ahead as Arsenal return from the international break next month with FA Cup, Champions League and Premier League matches all in an eight-day span.

‘I want the players to have some perspective,’ said the Gunners boss. ‘What this team has done in the last eight months is incredible, and we’re going to use the disappointment and the fire in the belly to have the most amazing two months we ever have had together.

‘That’s on us, we’ll manage that energy in the right way. Now we have to go through that pain and disappointment, that’s normal and it’s part of football.’

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^ ^ Chelsea’s stance on sacking Liam Rosenior after heavy Everton defeat

Chelsea bosses still have ‘full confidence’ in head coach Liam Rosenior (Picture: Getty)

Liam Rosenior reportedly maintains the ‘full confidence’ of Chelsea’s hierarchy despite the side’s wretched run of results.

The 41-year-old’s position as manager has come under increasing scrutiny in recent weeks, with the Blues winning just one of their last eight matches in all competitions.

After some early signs of encouragement under Rosenior, Chelsea have dropped to sixth in the Premier League table with the ex-Strasbourg boss at the helm and are at risk of missing out of Champions League qualification for next season.

A pair of heavy defeats to Paris Saint-Germain, either side of a 1-0 loss at home to Newcastle, piled the pressure on Rosenior entering Saturday’s clash with Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

But things went from bad to worse for Rosenior as Beto struck twice – the second coming from a woeful Robert Sanchez mistake – to give the Toffees a two-goal advantage with 30 minutes remaining on Merseyside.

Iliman Ndiaye increased the deficit with an emphatic strike beyond Robert Sanchez in the 76th minute and hosts Everton held firm to emerge 3-0 victors and move up to eighth in the English top flight.

The result leaves Chelsea one point behind fourth-placed Liverpool, who also faltered in a 2-1 loss to Brighton in Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off.

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Beto and Ndiaye combined to torment Chelsea on Merseyside (Picture: Getty)

Rosenior cut a frustrated figure on the touchline at the Hill Dickinson Stadium (Picture: Getty)

Widespread reports after the side’s Champions League elimination in midweek suggested Rosenior still had the backing of both Chelsea bosses and his first-team squad.

According to Fabrizio Romano, the situation remains the same and there are no plans to part ways with Rosenior at this stage – two months on from his appointment at Stamford Bridge.

‘It’s a difficult moment for Chelsea, four consecutive defeats for the first time since 1993, so a really complicated moment,’ Romano told viewers on his YouTube channel.

‘It feels like a complication situation but again, all the questions I’m getting now on Liam Rosenior I’m still answering now after what I told you already in recent days after the Paris Saint-Germain game… at the moment, I don’t have any message coming from the Chelsea side about any imminent change or any strong decision.’

Rosenior's Premier League record since taking charge of Chelsea

Matches – 10

Won – 5

Drew – 2

Lost – 3

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According to Romano, Chelsea’s expectations when they hired Rosenior accounted for the fact that their new manager had taken over the reins without the benefit of a pre-season.

‘Obviously Chelsea can’t be happy with the current situation but they don’t forget that Liam Rosenior arrived in the middle of the season, not having any pre-season,’ he went on.

‘It is not a squad built for Liam Rosenior so obviously there are some points to be considered when it’s time to judge Liam Rosenior.

It’s been a tough few weeks for Chelsea goalkeeper Sanchez (Picture: Getty)

‘At the same time, Chelsea want to be in the Champions League next season. It’s still a long run, let’s see how this final two months of the season will go.

‘But obviously Chelsea maintain their support in Liam Rosenior. They also spoke in public about that before the Everton game, mentioning meetings, mentioning discussions, mentioning the intention win and be aligned with Chelsea about summer transfer plans.

‘So Rosenior is maintaining the full confidence and, at the moment, that’s the situation with the club.’

Rosenior took over the reins at Chelsea back in early January (Picture: Getty)

Facing the media after his side’s setback at Everton, a visibly frustrated Rosenior admitted he was still ‘learning’ about certain aspects of the job.

‘The most disappointing evening so far in terms of the things we’ve spoken about, not gifting goals away, making sure we’re in the game, getting control of the game,’ he told reporters.

‘It wasn’t there, and it turned into a really, really difficult evening where the result and performance was nowhere near what we expected or wanted.

Chelsea will look to return to winning ways against Port Vale in the FA Cup next weekend (Picture: Getty)

‘I’m learning about this club. It’s a massive club. There’s been a lot of noise, a lot of negative noise, rightfully so, our performances in the last week.

‘We’ve had ten games in the league together as a group. We’ve got 17 points.

‘I think we’re fourth in my time. So we have to forget the noise. We have to keep our confidence and our composure.’

Rosenior’s side face Manchester City next up in the Premier League (Picture: Getty)

Rosenior believes repeated lapses in concentration and a wastefulness in front of goal have largely been to blame for Chelsea’s miserable losing streak.

‘I want to protect my players always. I always will. I take responsibility for that lapse in concentration, but that’s what it is,’ he added.

‘That’s happened too many times in my time recently for me not to tell the truth as it is.

‘For me, we arrived into the final third a lot. We had an edgy start in terms of cheap giveaways that we gave away, then we managed to gain control of the game and were in their half, and we were arriving and creating moments which we don’t take.

‘We’re not clinical enough. Then, out of nowhere, it feels like out of nowhere, they score. It’s not the first time that that’s happened.

‘What happens in football, if you are in a run, a difficult run of games against big teams, your energy levels and your confidence levels can drop if the other team score first. That’s what happened. [Jordan] Pickford makes a world-class save at 1-0.

‘Then we come out in the second half and have control of the game. Then we make a mistake and they’re 2-0 up. It gives them even more energy. It’s about flow and momentum. We didn’t have that in the game today.’

Things don’t any easier for Chelsea in the Premier League, with Rosenior’s men playing host to Manchester City and Manchester United in their next two top-flight matches.

The Blues are back in FA Cup action after the international break, though, and will be looking to avoid a huge quarter-final upset when they welcome League One outfit Port Vale to Stamford Bridge.

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