Arsenal were comfortably beaten by Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday afternoon, and Rodri has subsequently issued a stern warning to the Gunners about the remainder of the Premier League season.
After an even first half at Wembley, City took the lead on the hour mark when Nico O’Reilly headed home from close range following an error from Kepa Arrizabalaga. The Citizens doubled their lead just a few minutes later, when O’Reilly again headed past the Spanish goalkeeper from inside the six-yard box.
The result means that the Gunners’ six-year trophy drought goes on and their pursuit of an unprecedented quadruple comes to an end. While they remain nine points clear at the top of the league, Mikel Arteta’s side have been warned by Rodri that City detected a clear weakness in the North Londoners’ game, and that this weakness could impact proceedings moving forward.
Rodri explains Arsenal weakness that Man City detected
Arsenal certainly weren’t at their best against City on Sunday at Wembley. While Arteta’s side did well to nullify Pep Guardiola’s outfit for much of the first half, they created little themselves and produced a particularly poor period at the start of the second half.
The Gunners will meet City again in less than a month, in what will likely be a crucial match in determining the outcome of the title race. They’ll have to play significantly better at the Etihad than they did in north-west London if they want to emerge from Manchester unscathed.
However, Rodri’s post-match comments don’t look good for Arteta’s side’s prospects heading into that Premier League showdown. Speaking to the media after the Carabao Cup final, the Spanish midfielder provided some insight into how City conquered the second half.
“I think it was good, reassuring chat that we were doing things very well,” Rodri said when asked about what Guardiola said in the dressing room at half-time.
“We adjusted a few things because I think we were doing very well in terms of pressing. It was more a question of personality and wanting to go for the game and not letting them off.
“They dropped off a bit physically, and we detected it. We wanted to go for it, and in the end, you can tell when you get players in the area, and you have that desire to score, and Nico has shown the potential he is going to have.
“We knew today was a very important match, not only because of what the title means but also because of what it means to beat the team in best form.”
Arsenal’s physical drop-off in second half is a huge concern for Mikel Arteta
Rodri’s words will feel like a chill running down the back of every Arsenal fan. The enemy’s key player has sensed vulnerability, and his team are ready to exploit it in the run-in.
What makes it more alarming for the Gunners is that Rodri was spot on with his assessment. The Gunners faded massively in the second half, delivering a fatigued performance that simply wasn’t at the level Arteta will deem acceptable.
City have generally struggled to maintain their intensity in the second half of games this season, and the fact that this was reversed at Wembley will concern Arteta. His team was physically overpowered by a side with fewer athletic weapons on their roster, and this hardly improved as the half went on.
If Premier League matches ended at half-time this season then Manchester City would be top of the league by 13 points, ahead of Arsenal despite having played a game less.
— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) March 16, 2026
Man City – 30 games (W20 D8 L2): 68 points
Arsenal – 31 games (W14 D13 L4): 55 points pic.twitter.com/Zj9AAWXf0j
The good news for Arsenal is that they now have two weeks to rest and reset ahead of the run-in. While many players will be on international duty, many more will remain at London Colney, where they can have their feet up and prepare for some crucial matches.
Eberechi Eze has already withdrawn from the England squad, joining the likes of Noni Madueke, William Saliba and Jurrien Timber in taking this precautionary approach.
