Pep Guardiola says Man City’s Carabao Cup win over Arsenal will not impact the Premier League title race, calling it a different competition

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has insisted that his side’s Carabao Cup final victory over Arsenal will not influence the Premier League title race.

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City secured a 2-0 win over Arsenal at Wembley on Sunday, with both goals coming in the second half through headers from Nico O’Reilly.

Despite the result, Guardiola maintained that the outcome of the cup final would not affect Arsenal’s league campaign, stressing that both competitions are different in nature.

The two clubs are scheduled to meet again in the Premier League on April 19, in what is expected to be a crucial fixture in the title race.

Arsenal currently lead Manchester City by nine points with eight games remaining.

Guardiola said he even expects the defeat to help Arsenal become more focused ahead of their next encounter.

“I don’t think the Carabao Cup win will have an impact,” he said.

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“It’s a different competition, and when Arsenal come to the Etihad, they’ll be more focused. Winning a title is always hard, so it’s a joy and a satisfying achievement.”