Marc Guehi was bursting with pride watching his Manchester City teammates receive their Carabao Cup winners’ medals. Even though he couldn’t grab one for himself, he cheered them on.

The 25-year-old missed out at Wembley in City’s 2-0 win over Arsenal. It wasn’t because he was cup-tied, even though he’d played in this competition earlier in the season for Crystal Palace before joining City in January. If that was the rule, Antoine Semenyo, who also arrived in January, would have sat out too. But that wasn’t it. Guehi simply wasn’t registered with City before the first leg of their semi-final against Newcastle, so he wasn’t allowed to play.

Semenyo got lucky. The city signed and registered him in time, so he was eligible for the showdown with Newcastle and beyond.

So, Guehi had to watch the final from the sidelines while City chased their ninth League Cup success. You could tell from his social media that he was heartbroken not to be out there. He posted a slow-mo video of the team lifting the cup at Wembley and wrote, “What a team and performance. So proud of the boys.”

Before the final, Pep Guardiola didn’t hide his irritation about Guehi’s absence. At his press conference, he said, “Hopefully we can convince the Carabao Cup (EFL) that Marc can play the final. I don’t understand why he can’t. Maybe we should write a letter. You buy a player for a lot of money, and he can’t play because of a rule I don’t get. Hopefully, they will change it. It’s hard to understand.”

So City relied on Abdukodir Khusanov and Nathan Ake at the back. Both the Uzbek and Dutch defenders were rock solid against Arsenal.

Nico O’Reilly stole the show with a pair of fantastic goals, charging forward from left-back. After the win, Guardiola was glowing: “For James [Trafford] it was his first final. Khusanov’s only been here one year; Nico O’Reilly has impressed me in his first full season, and Antoine [Semenyo] played his first final. Lots of players are having a good first taste – that’s what we need. Shows us we can do it.

“We’re much better than last season, but not quite the team we want to be yet. That takes time. Hopefully by next season or the end of this one we’ll get there.”

Manchester City ended Arsenal’s push for a historic quadruple, with Pep Guardiola hinting there’s still plenty to come from his youthful squad after clinching a record fifth League Cup.

Nico O’Reilly, a homegrown talent, netted both goals at Wembley, earning praise from Guardiola, who called him "extraordinary".

Guardiola admitted his team were clear underdogs but sees this Carabao Cup win as a stepping stone. "Nobody, not even me, would have bet a pound on us today,” he said. Arsenal were on an incredible run. We hadn’t beaten Nottingham Forest at home or West Ham away. We’d lost heavily to Real Madrid. Very few believed we could pull this off, but the players showed otherwise, both the veterans and the newcomers.”

He went on to express his optimism for the squad’s future, saying, “I can sense how this team can develop. I told the players that this is their first final for some of them. Ten years ago, it was the same situation. You never know how they’ll respond. It’s a valuable experience. We need it.”

Guardiola was candid about the team’s progress, adding, “When a group wins repeatedly, it changes your mindset. They start to believe it’s possible. But we still have to prove what kind of team we can be. We’re not there yet. It takes time. Hopefully, by the end of this season or next, we’ll get there.”

He brushed off suggestions that this win shakes up the Premier League title race. Meanwhile, Arsenal’s manager Mikel Arteta urged his players to refocus as they approach the season’s conclusion.

“We’re very sad; this is tough, especially for our players and supporters who wanted it so badly,” Arteta said. “Not delivering is disappointing and leaves a bitter taste. But if we look back at what the team has achieved over eight months, it’s been incredible. We’ll channel this disappointment into energy for what’s ahead. That fire will fuel us through the next two months. That’s our responsibility now. We’ll manage this pain; it’s part of the game.”

Arteta stood by his decision to start goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga despite the error that led to City’s opener. He also confirmed Eberechi Eze will miss international duty with a calf injury, while O’Reilly heads to England camp carrying the confidence from a breakthrough season.

Guardiola’s praise for O’Reilly didn’t stop at his goals. “Nico has surprised even me. The season he’s had is extraordinary. He played holding midfield at Newcastle and was outstanding against players like Tonali, Bruno, and Joelinton. Honestly, he might be our signing of the season.”

O’Reilly, who turned 21 that weekend, shared his excitement: “It’s an unbelievable feeling. To win a final and beat a team like Arsenal, who are so good, gives us momentum. Seeing the fans celebrate after my goals was a bit surreal, a great way to spend my birthday weekend.”

He added, “I’ve always played midfield since I was a kid, arriving late in the box and scoring. Bringing that to a senior level, especially at this stage, is really satisfying and adds a new dimension to my game. It feels great.”