Pep Guardiola confessed he wouldn't have wagered on Manchester City defeating Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final, describing the unexpected victory over one of Europe's elite sides as a source of immense satisfaction.

A second-half double from Nico O'Reilly secured Guardiola's unprecedented fifth League Cup trophy, with the manager praising his team's "unbelievably good" performance after the interval at Wembley.

The City boss revealed his squad had exceeded his expectations, particularly highlighting O'Reilly's transformation from left-back to match-winner as a revelation.

"Securing any trophy presents challenges, which makes this achievement particularly gratifying given we faced the strongest team in Europe, on par with Bayern Munich and perhaps Barcelona," Guardiola reflected.

"I wouldn't have staked anything on victory today. Recent form suggested otherwise—we couldn't overcome Nottingham Forest at home or West Ham away, suffered a 5-1 aggregate defeat to Madrid, playing 75 minutes with 10 men in the second leg. Yet the players demonstrated their character once more.

"What we accomplished today, particularly our defensive solidity and attacking fluency after halftime, surpassed my expectations. The quality of our second-half display was genuinely remarkable."

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Guardiola dismissed suggestions that City's triumph would influence the title race dynamics, despite Arsenal's upcoming visit to the Etihad Stadium on 19 April.

"I'd prefer a nine-point cushion heading into the Premier League run-in. This result won't carry over—it's a separate competition entirely. Arsenal's focus will sharpen when they arrive at the Etihad," he noted.

O'Reilly collected the man-of-the-match award following his decisive brace, prompting Guardiola to add: "His development has caught even me off guard. The campaign he's delivered has been nothing short of exceptional."