Wenger, of course, deserves credit for taking Arsenal to another major cup final after three FA Cup successes in the past four seasons, but the odd animated gesture and words of defiance carried a hollow ring on a painful and passionless day for the club. It is not just for 90 minutes of this League Cup final that City and Arsenal appear to be on entirely different levels. Arsenal are in danger of finishing outside the top four for a second successive Premier League season. Arsenal's players looked to have given up, strolling around and barely contesting a challenge after Vincent Kompany's second for City, so why shouldn't they? City and Guardiola should harbour no such doubts.

Source: BBC February 25, 2018 21:53 UTC