Mikel Arteta has congratulated Manchester City following Arsenal’s 2–0 defeat in the Carabao Cup final on March 22, 2026, while urging his players to channel the disappointment into motivation for the remainder of the season, Softfootball reports.
In a post-match quote shared by Fabrizio Romano on his official X channel, Arteta admitted the loss was painful, especially after what he described as a strong first-half performance. He also expressed sympathy for Arsenal supporters, stating his sadness at not delivering a trophy, but emphasized the importance of focusing on the final stretch of the campaign.
Mikel Arteta: “Congratulations to Man City for winning the trophy”. “We have to prepare now and use that fire in the belly to have two incredible months at the end of the season”.
Mikel Arteta: “I feel sad for our fans, we wanted the trophy. But we have to go for two important months”. “In the first half, we were the better team. It’s painful”.
Despite the absence of key defender Rúben Dias, City secured victory at Wembley under Pep Guardiola, continuing their dominance in domestic competitions. The result adds to City’s growing trophy haul and reinforces their status as one of England’s most successful sides in recent years.
Arteta now turns attention to the Premier League title race, where Arsenal trail City by three points with eight matches remaining. He stressed the need to turn the setback into “fire in the belly” as the team pushes for silverware.
Fan reactions remain divided, with some backing the project and others pointing to Arsenal’s ongoing trophy drought.
