Pep Guardiola admitted he could not hold back his emotions after Manchester City defeated Arsenal 2-0 to win the Carabao Cup.
The City manager made the remark after sprinting down the touchline to celebrate his side’s second goal at Wembley, even joking that he had hoped to receive another booking for his reaction.
“I’m not yet artificial intelligence. I’m a human being and I want to celebrate’, he declared.
Nico O’Reilly’s double helped Manchester City defeat Arsenal 2-0 and win the Carabao Cup, ending their hopes of winning a quadruple. The full-back’s two headers in four minutes during the second half stunned Arsenal and gave Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola a record-breaking fifth League Cup victory.
“I wanted another yellow card, that was the target,” he said.
“If I cannot celebrate against that team with the way we are playing, then when? … I’m a human being with emotions and I express it.”
The result marked their first trophy of the season, coming after a run of inconsistent performances and a disappointing exit from Europe.
Reflecting on the performance, Guardiola expressed surprise at his team’s level, particularly after the break.
“Not even me gave one pound to the victory today,” he admitted, referencing recent struggles. “Especially without the ball and with the ball in the second half, was unbelievably good. I could not believe how unbelievably good we had done in the second half.”
He credited the collective effort of both experienced players and emerging talents, noting the importance of squad depth in cup competitions. Goalkeeper James Trafford was singled out for early saves, while O’Reilly earned special praise for his decisive impact.
“Maybe he was the signing of the season… He scored two fantastic goals,” Guardiola said.
On the other side, Mikel Arteta defended his decision to start Kepa Arrizabalaga despite the goalkeeper’s role in the opening goal. “
“I have to do what I feel is right, honest and fair… it would have been very, very unfair for him to do something different,” Arteta said, adding that his team would use the setback as motivation.
“We’re going to use this disappointment, to have the most amazing two months that we have ever had together.”
Manchester City will host Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium on April 19, although the Gunners are nine points ahead of their rivals at the top of the table.
