Despite his side lifting the trophy, Guardiola was quick to praise the quality of Arteta’s Premier League leaders. The Catalan coach insisted that Arsenal remain the benchmark in domestic football, even in defeat. “What can I say? Always, when you win a trophy it’s important,” Guardiola said after the final whistle.
“But this was special because we’ve had a tough two weeks and especially because of the opponent. The first 15 minutes they suffocated us. We could not breathe. After that, we started to play. I’m really pleased but Mikel has created a team that is almost unbeatable. We are still not the team that Arsenal are or what we were in the past. We found a way to win titles.”