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

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.

‘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.

‘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.

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.

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.’