Carabao Cup review: Arsenal’s slump continues with 4-1 thrashing at the hands of City

Manchester City compounds Arsenal woes to keep their Carabao Cup defence firmly on track with a 4-1 victory at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday and booked their place in the semi-finals.

With the hosts barely touching the ball, Gabriel Jesus got City ahead with an early lead in the third minute but Arsenal hit back against the run of play through Alexandre Lacazette.

The Gunners however crumbled totally in the second half.

Having lost Gabriel Martinelli to injury just after half-time, the hosts found themselves chasing the game again in the 54th minute after goalkeeper Alex Runarsson made a howler to allow Riyad Mahrez’s free-kick through his hands and into the net.

Phil Foden and Aymeric Laporte finished off proceedings for Pep Guardiola’s side, who are now 18 games without a defeat in the League Cup as they bid to win the competition for a fourth straight time.

Watch the highlights of the match below

Managers reactions

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said: “Against this level of opponent, they penalise you and make it very difficult. We have a great counter-attack moment but they then score in an offside position and you end up losing the game again.

“It’s a hard one to take, considering how the game went. This level of opponent, when you give the goals away it makes the game impossible. A lot of strange things are happening in every game and that makes things really difficult.

“We have to turn it around round – there is no question with the fixtures we have it’s going to decide our season. On the basis of what we have shown tonight against difficult opponents, I have fighters in my team. Yes, I have fighters.”

Pep Guardiola: “Both teams need to score goals, we score four. We changed the set-up, they score a good goal, after the second half we had more fluidity. The second goal helped, the third maybe offside, so that makes a difference. After 3-1, it is a completely different game.

“We put another player in the position, we can make it dangerous. We score a goal, we had a good moment, didn’t suffer and they could not make passes in a row, but they changed, pressed better. The second half we adjusted and were a little bit more comfortable.

“The last two or three years, we have scored a lot of goals and this year we struggle, but of course goals are important. It is good for the rhythm for the players that haven’t played. For four years in a row, we are in the semi-finals which is a good achievement in this competition.”

Stats and facts from the match (Backed by Opta)

• Since losing to Manchester United in October 2016, Manchester City have progressed from each of their last 18 League Cup ties, winning the competition in each of the last three campaigns.
• Manchester City are the first team to win four consecutive away games against Arsenal in all competitions since Chelsea between 1960 and 1965 (six in a row).
• Arsenal (14) have been eliminated from the quarter-final stage of the League Cup more times than any other side in the competition’s history.
• The Gunners conceded at least four times at home in a League Cup encounter for the first time since November 1998 under Arsene Wenger (0-5 v Chelsea).