Micah Richards names Arsenal change Mikel Arteta had to make at half-time vs Man City | Football

Mikel Arteta made a mistake not replacing Piero Hincapie at half-time in Arsenal’s Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester City, according to Micah Richards.

A second-half brace from Nico O’Reilly sealed a 2-0 victory for City at Wembley on Sunday, dashing Arsenal’s hopes of winning an unprecedented quadruple this season.

With Riccardo Calafiori and Myles Lewis-Skelly named among the subs, Hincapie started at left-back, placing him up against Antoine Semenyo in City’s attack.

While it was a foul on Matheus Nunes that led to his first-half booking, Semenyo tormented the Ecuador international in the opening period, repeatedly beating him down the right flank to create City’s best openings.

It continued in the second-half with Semenyo providing the cross that led to O’Rielly’s opening goal after Kepa Arrizabalaga spilled his cross.

The former Bournemouth star noted post-match Hincapie’s booking had the Arsenal star ‘backing off’ and ‘gave me the opportunity to drive at him’.

Arteta appeared to be considering replacing his summer signing early on with Calafiori spotted warming up midway through the first-half. The change did not come until after 65 minutes however with the damage already done.

Former City star Richards identified Hincapie’s reluctance to get tight on his man as a result of that first-half booking as a real problem, believing he should have been replaced at the break.

‘You need to get tighter, and he could have got tighter if he wasn’t on that yellow card,’ Richards said.

‘That’s the difference and that is why I think Arteta should have made the change at half time because when you are defending on a yellow card, you defend differently especially when you are up against someone like Semenyo on that right hand side.’

Arsenal 0-2 Man City – Metro at the Match

Manchester City have secured the first silverware of the season after Arsenal failed to deliver at Wembley.

The quadruple dream is over and the Gunners must now pick up the pieces after a sobering setback.

For City, it has breathed life into their campaign after a dismal Champions League exit this week.

Kepa gamble backfires spectacularly

Mikel Arteta decided to keep faith in Kepa Arrizabalaga after starting the Spaniard in each round of the competition leading up to the final at Wembley today.

Pep Guardiola did likewise with James Trafford, but it was Arsenal who paid the price for dropping one of their best players. From the moment the second-half kicked off, Kepa dallied on the ball, inviting the pressure that would inevitably swarm all over the Gunners and trigger their downfall.

Raya has been spectacular this season, the best goalkeeper in the Premier League by some margin and in sublime form. Had he started, Sunday may have been a very different story.

Old Arsenal fears reignited

We have seen Arsenal collapse in the past. Past failures have so often been used as a stick to beat them with but things have felt different this season.

Victory today would have gone some way in erasing the lingering fears over another derailment . But defeat at Wembley could serve as a catalyst for something much bleaker.

Arsenal are still fighting on three fronts, in control of the Premier League title race and well-placed to continue marching on in Europe. But the effects of today could be season-altering. The woeful second-half showing was as bad as anything served up by them this term on the stage where they needed to be their best.

O’Reilly steps up

City needed a hero at Wembley and they found a home-grown one. With Phil Foden only coming on as an injury time substitute, left-back O’Reilly stepped up as City’s savour with two headers to save their season.

City were fantastic in the second period to a man and fed off Arsenal’s apprehension but it was the 21-year-old set the standard when they needed inspiration.  

Tony Mogan, live sports editor

City signed Semenyo for an initial £62million in the January transfer window with the Ghana international an instant hit in Manchester with seven goals to his name.

After clinching his first trophy with the club, he told Sky Sports: ‘It feels like a fairy tale to be honest.

‘But I’ve got a lot more to show. I want to play out wide, I want to play as a No9, I want to show how versatile I am and the help the team as much as I can.

‘I’m enjoying my football and it can only get better.

‘For me, it’s so personal, I’ve never won a trophy before. Give God all the glory.’

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