Guardiola thanks owners for sticking by him as Man City lift Carabao Cup

Guardiola praises club’s owners for sticking by him last year

ARSENAL 0 MANCHESTER CITY 3

Pep Guardiola collected his first silverware in England following Carabao Cup success against Arsenal before going on to praise Manchester City’s owners for sticking by him last season.

The Premier League leaders outclassed Arsene Wenger’s side to lift the trophy following a 3-0 thrashing of the Gunners.

Sergio Aguero opened the scoring and man of the match Vincent Kompany and David Silva struck after the interval to secure Guardiola’s maiden trophy since he was appointed City boss in 2016.

Guardiola could now end the campaign with three winners’ medals with the Premier League all but sewn up and a first Champions League also still on offer for City.

“The first half was not good, we felt the pressure to play a final after what happened last season. We spoke about that at half-time,” he said.

“I’m so happy but I’m part of Manchester City, all the titles we won in the past is as part of a group.

“I can’t forget how they took care of me last season when the results were not good.

“I will always remember how all the club have supported me and that is why it is important.”

Guardiola, who defied a Football Association charge and continued to wear a yellow ribbon in support of politicians imprisoned in his native Catalonia, also believes lifting the first trophy on offer this season can only help guide City to more over the rest of the year – but only if they do not repeat their first-half performance.

“Of course, winning titles helps to win more,” he said.

“They especially have to know that if we play like the first half we will not go far, especially in the Champions League.

“If we play like the second half we can compete and that is our target.

“We are going to learn from that, every game teaches you something.”

Wenger conceded his side were well beaten and believed the goals were all down to the ineptitude of his players on the day.

“You cannot say you are not disappointed when you concede goals the way we conceded goals,” he said.

“I think there was no need to make the corner on the second goal.

“You take the good and the bad when you’re a manager.

“That’s part of the game.

“We go away disappointed.

“I feel a little bit that everything went against us today.

“We self-inflicted our punishment, because we had an unbelievable chance at 0-0.

“We gave them a goal and were a bit unlucky in the second half, even if we didn’t start well at all, and were punished.”

Wenger also felt there was an offside missed against Leroy Sane as City scored their second and also made a strange claim against the officials.

He said: “The referee didn’t give the (right amount of) added time.”

Picture: PA Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany holds the Carabao Cup aloft as his team-mates celebrate their victory.

Pep Guardiola with his first trophy since taking over the reins at the Etihad Stadium.