"At half-time in the Carabao Cup final, Arsenal's hopes of a quadruple remained strong. They were unbeaten in 14, 11 of them won. They were drawing 0-0 against Manchester City and it wasn't unreasonable to think that if the second half carried on as the first half had, they would eventually find a winner quite possibly from a corner."
"Something changed at half-time at Wembley: Pep Guardiola stopped his City side pressing so high. Arsenal's defenders found themselves with time on the ball but only each other to pass to. City kept regaining possession and, with Nico O'Reilly encouraged to surge forward and infield from left-back to create an extra man in attack, Arsenal wobbled."
"The thought had been that with David Raya back in goal in place of Kepa Arrizabalaga, Arsenal would be able to play out more easily, his long-passing ability allowing him to transfer the ball over the press to an advancing full-back or wide player."
Arsenal was on track for a historic season, unbeaten in 14 matches and leading the Premier League. However, after half-time in the Carabao Cup final, their performance faltered. Manchester City adjusted their strategy, reducing their pressing, which allowed Arsenal's defenders to struggle with possession. City regained control, and Arsenal's inability to adapt led to a decline in their prospects for the season. The shift in momentum raised concerns about Arsenal's potential to achieve their ambitious goals.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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