Photograph: Julian Finney/Getty ImagesKepa Arrizabalaga was always going to start the League Cup final. It was an indictment of the 2025/26 Premier League season. Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta after the Carabao Cup final on Sunday. Tiredness is the traditional answer and yes, it is a factor, though one that is compensated for by the Premier League clubs’ enormous economic advantage. As the rest of the Premier League teams have repudiated his once-dominant style, Guardiola has looked a dispirited figure.

Source: The Irish Times March 23, 2026 07:32 UTC