Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images

Ian Wright Warns Mikel Arteta After Arsenal’s EFL Cup Final Loss

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Emmanuel Mendez | Last updated Mar 22, 2026 3:18 PM ET

Arsenal lost 2-0 to Manchester City in the EFL Cup Final at Wembley Stadium in a match that worried many Arsenal fans, as there are other trophies to play for.

Arsenal conceded two goals from Nico O'Reilly in five minutes during the second half, which was enough for Manchester City to win their 9th League Cup trophy.

After the match, Arsenal legend Ian Wright spoke about the team's performance and warned Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta about what's ahead, which to Wright's belief is the Premier League.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta (right) during the Carabao Cup Final at Wembley Stadium, London. Picture date: Sunday March 22, 2026. (Photo by John Walton/PA Images via Getty Images)Photo by John Walton/PA Images via Getty Images

Despite losing out on winning a trophy today, Wright insists that the main goal for Arsenal is to win the Premier League this season, where they are currently nine points ahead of Manchester City in the league table.

Ian Wright's Warning for Mikel Arteta's Arsenal

Ian Wright believes that Arsenal are truly focused on delivering the Premier League title for the fans following the EFL Cup Final loss to Manchester City.

However, Wright thinks that the player's mentality should continue to be strong as the season is set to become very crucial for their goal to win the league title.

Wright said, "Arsenal's project is about them trying to win the league. It's a different team that's going out there [in the league]. The mentality has got to be better than it was today...In the end, it all just fell in on Arsenal. The goalkeeper's mistake handed it to City. Disappointing, that was a really poor performance."

Arsenal's next Premier League match will be against Bournemouth on April 11. Following that will be a crucial league game against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on April 19.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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