Football Apr 06, 2026

Paul Merson: Arsenal will still win the Premier League despite Carabao Cup final loss to Man City - but it's the only trophy they will win

👤
By Admin
Sports Journalist
Paul Merson: Arsenal will still win the Premier League despite Carabao Cup final loss to Man City - but it's the only trophy they will win

Your Site' Paul Merson believes Arsenal will still win the Premier League this season despite their Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester City - but it's the only trophy the Gunners will lift this season.

Two goals from Nico O'Reilly gave City a 2-0 win at Wembley, which ended Arsenal's pursuit of an unprecedented quadruple.

Mikel Arteta's side are still in the quarter-finals of the Champions League and FA Cup this season - while they hold a nine-point lead over second-placed City, with a Premier League meeting between the two to come on April 19.

Read below for the Magic Man's thoughts on Arsenal's Carabao Cup final loss...

Man City turned up in the second half of the Carabao Cup final and absolutely gave Arsenal a footballing lesson at the highest level.

For 25 minutes of the second half, no one at Arsenal wanted the ball. They were booting the ball away, just kicking it back to City.

And City destroyed them, absolutely destroyed them.

It's a sore one for Arsenal. It's a confidence-sapping defeat because you come in the dressing room after that and think: oh my God, we just got destroyed in the second half.

Will it impact the Premier League? Arsenal are too good for the other teams they have to play against in the run-in, so they will beat those teams.

But watching that game and that second half, I don't see Arsenal winning anything else but the Premier League.

Man City are still in the FA Cup. Watching that game, you'd be shocked if Arsenal went back to Wembley and beat them.

And then in the Champions League, I look at Barcelona - who Arsenal are on course to play in the semi-finals - and Arsenal haven't got the pace to trouble Barcelona's high line.

The forward players aren't electric - they're not like Anthony Elanga or Anthony Gordon who caused Barcelona problems in the last 16.

I'd dread to think what Barcelona could do to Arsenal.

It's a bad mistake from Kepa, a shocker of a mistake. But he wasn't on the pitch when eight of Arsenal's outfield players were getting ripped to shreds.

Only two Arsenal players could walk off the pitch with their head held high and they are William Saliba and Gabriel. They were outstanding, and they couldn't do any more.

For the other eight players, Kepa's done them a favour because everyone's now talking about him and the mistake - but no-one will talk about the other players not deserving more than a five out of 10.

I was at Wembley and what I was watching was: who on Arsenal's team wanted the ball when they were getting beat and it was going horribly wrong? And no-one wanted the ball. Nobody.

If any of those players want to sit down and watch a video of me and go: I was looking for it here and there, I would say: 'I'm afraid you weren't'. It was pretty worrying.

The positive for Arsenal is that they are still in three tournaments. You can't lose sight of that. The main thing for them is to win the Premier League.

If you were to give up any trophy, it would have been the Carabao Cup. But it's another trophy gone missing, another lost final - and they're going to get some flak this week.

Tags:

football news

Share this article

Related Posts

England 0-1 Japan: Kaoru Mitoma nets deserved winner as experimental Three Lions fail to fire again

England 0-1 Japan: Kaoru Mitoma nets deserved winner as experimental Three Lions fail to fire again

England's World Cup hopefuls did little to convince Thomas Tuchel of their worth when he names his squad in barely two months' time as another experim...

EFL highlights: Wrexham, Saints win, promotion race stalemates; QPR thump SIX past Pompey

EFL highlights: Wrexham, Saints win, promotion race stalemates; QPR thump SIX past Pompey

Glasner pays tribute to former winger OliseCrystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner has hailed his former winger Michael Olise's "oustanding" performance...

Bournemouth 2-2 Manchester United: Harry Maguire sent off as Michael Carrick's side twice pegged back in Premier League draw

Bournemouth 2-2 Manchester United: Harry Maguire sent off as Michael Carrick's side twice pegged back in Premier League draw

Harry Maguire saw red and gave away a penalty just hours after his England recall as Man Utd were pegged back to draw 2-2 at Bournemouth.Michael Carri...

Preston 3-1 Stoke: Alfie Devine at the double in mid-table Championship clash

Preston 3-1 Stoke: Alfie Devine at the double in mid-table Championship clash

Alfie Devine scored twice as Preston ended a seven-game winless streak with a 3-1 Championship victory over Stoke at Deepdale.The 21-year-old Tottenha...

Brighton 2-1 Liverpool: Hugo Ekitike injured as Danny Welbeck inflicts 10th defeat on Reds to dent Champions League hopes

Brighton 2-1 Liverpool: Hugo Ekitike injured as Danny Welbeck inflicts 10th defeat on Reds to dent Champions League hopes

Liverpool suffered a 10th league defeat and another significant blow to their Champions League qualification hopes as Brighton deservedly earned a 2-1...

Southampton 2-0 Oxford United: Saints strike early to ease to victory

Southampton 2-0 Oxford United: Saints strike early to ease to victory

A Shea Charles wonder goal helped promotion-chasing Southampton secure their ninth Championship win in 12 games with a 2-0 victory over Oxford.Cyle La...