Strong curse revealed behind Arsenal missing out on the Carabao Cup title after losing to Manchester City in the final (video).
On 23 March 2026 GMT+7, the background behind Arsenal missing the Carabao Cup (League Cup) title after losing to Manchester City, their Premier League rival, in the final with a 0-2 scoreline last night was revealed.
The crucial turning point in this match came with Manchester City's opening goal in the 60th minute when Kepa Arrizabalaga, Arsenal's second-choice goalkeeper starting the match, unexpectedly mishandled a cross from Riyad Mahrez, allowing Nico O'Reilly to easily head in the ball. O'Reilly then scored a second goal at the 64th minute.
Mikel Arteta confirmed he did not regret selecting Kepa Arrizabalaga to start in the Carabao Cup final instead of David Raya, the team's first-choice goalkeeper, because Kepa had been the regular starter throughout the tournament and thus deserved the opportunity to play.
However, Arteta’s decision might have been a mistake, as Kepa Arrizabalaga has now missed out on winning the Carabao Cup in all three finals he started, each marked by nightmare incidents as follows.
- Kepa defied coach Maurizio Sarri’s orders by refusing to be substituted for Willy Caballero, who was specifically intended to take penalty kicks. Chelsea then lost the shootout to Manchester City 3-4, missing out on their first title.
- Kepa was substituted on by Thomas Tuchel to replace Edouard Mendy for the penalty shootout but missed a penalty by shooting over the bar, resulting in Chelsea losing to Liverpool 10-11 and missing their second title.
- Kepa mishandled a cross from Riyad Mahrez, allowing Nico O'Reilly to score Manchester City's first goal, which became the turning point that led to Arsenal's defeat and their third missed title.
As a result, Arsenal missed out on their first English title this season and are officially out of contention for a quadruple. They remain in the race for the Premier League, leading Manchester City by 9 points but having played one more match, as well as competing in the quarterfinals of both the UEFA Champions League and the FA Cup.
