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Former Jets GM Maccagnan talks belief in Darnold ahead of Super Bowl
The man who drafted Sam Darnold for the New York Jets in 2018 watched from his home in Houston last Sunday as his old quarterback celebrated the NFC championship. The confetti at Lumen Field was swirling, and so were Mike Maccagnan’s emotions.
His mind wandered back to Darnold’s rainy pro day at USC, all those scouting trips to the West Coast (four consecutive weekends in the fall of 2017) and the pure elation on draft day when Darnold was available with the third overall pick.
The Jets’ former general manager recalled Darnold’s promising rookie year, and years later, he still hears the echo of that voice inside him — the one that kept saying in 2018, “We got one.” Meaning a franchise quarterback.
And so it was bittersweet for Maccagnan as he observed Darnold’s near-flawless performance in the Seattle Seahawks‘ victory over the Los Angeles Rams. While he was overjoyed for Darnold, whose crooked NFL path is one of the hot storylines heading into Super Bowl LX, it also was a heavy moment for the old scout.
“I was always kind of sad that Sam wasn’t able to fulfill that potential in New York,” Maccagnan told ESPN this week in his first interview since being fired by the Jets in 2019. “That’s where he started his journey, and, in an ideal world, he would’ve finished it there.
“But it wasn’t meant to be, and he had to go on his own journey to grow and develop in different places. It makes me feel good that he’s fulfilling his potential. It’s not necessarily vindication. In our business, when you see something, and it turns out the way you envisioned it, it makes you feel good. I think every scout probably feels that way.”
Darnold, who played three seasons in New York, was traded to the Carolina Panthers in 2021 — a move that still sparks debate among Jets fans. Five years and four teams after the trade, Darnold has blossomed into the quarterback and leader the Jets always expected.
And still need.
“He showed flashes; that’s why [the trade] didn’t make sense,” former Jets safety Jamal Adams said. “Our head coach that we hired [Adam Gase] didn’t really help us out now. He did not help us out.
“Sometimes you look back like ‘Golly!’ We had Sam Darnold in our hands, and now he’s going to the Super Bowl.”
Three former teammates — Adams, wide receiver Robbie Chosen and tackle Kelvin Beachum — spoke glowingly of Darnold this week in interviews with ESPN. They remembered him as a dutiful young player with exceptional arm talent, someone who blended into the locker room and cared more about X’s and O’s than X (Twitter in those days).
They also lauded his aplomb in the aftermath of the infamous 2019 “Ghosts” game, which no doubt will be brought up in the coming days because it was against the New England Patriots — his opponent on Feb. 8 at Levi’s Stadium.
Mostly, they appreciated his ability to avoid being chewed up and spit out by an impatient league.
“Sometimes in the league, in certain situations, it’s not always the player,” Chosen said. “It takes the foundation around you that helps you become great. I remember saying it on [a podcast], when they were trying to debate with me about him as a player. I’m like, ‘He’s good, he just hasn’t been developed correctly.'”
MACCAGNAN ISN’T A spotlight seeker. He wasn’t that way in his four seasons as the Jets’ GM and he hasn’t been since his unceremonious ouster seven years ago.
Until now.
He agreed to an interview because of his affinity for Darnold and his family. Just the other day, Maccagnan saw a reposted video on social media of Darnold’s parents, Mike and Chris, hugging Sam and backup quarterback Josh McCown outside the locker room after Sam’s first NFL game — a win over the Detroit Lions on Sept. 11, 2018. Maccagnan was standing only a few feet away from the scene.
“I’m getting a little choked up, and I didn’t think I would,” Maccagnan said at the start of the interview, mentioning the video clip.
Remember when? Sam Darnold greeted by his parents after his first Jets game – Sept. 11, 2018, a win over the Lions. Quite a journey. Now he’s going to the Super Bowl … with the Seahawks. #Jets pic.twitter.com/dzZLnIP9eq
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) January 26, 2026
A highly drafted quarterback can be a legacy-defining pick for a GM. Maccagnan didn’t get enough time to see it through. His quarterback prodigy flashed potential as a rookie, but the team finished 4-12. The Jets, seemingly in a state of perpetual change, replaced Maccagnan and coach Todd Bowles with Joe Douglas and Gase, respectively.
After a promising second season, Darnold showed significant regression in 2020, prompting Douglas to trade him for three draft picks, including a second-round choice.
Douglas, fired in 2024, politely declined to be interviewed for this story, referring to his post-trade comments. At the time, he expressed confidence that Darnold would develop into a good quarterback, but he felt the better long-term plan for the organization was to start over with a rookie — Zach Wilson, drafted second overall in 2021. Wilson turned out to be a major disappointment, but Douglas never second-guessed the decision, he told friends over the years.
There was sound reasoning behind Douglas’ decision, which included a financial component as well. The counterargument: Never give up on a young quarterback with potential. It will go down in Jets lore as one of the most compelling “what if?” scenarios.
What if they had drafted Dan Marino over Ken O’Brien in 1983? What if Aaron Rodgers hadn’t torn his Achilles in 2023? What if they had given Darnold another chance?
“My personal opinion: I would’ve liked to have seen him get a full opportunity there,” Maccagnan said. “But at the end of the day, I wasn’t in that building, so I can’t say, ‘They should’ve done this, this and this.’ I wasn’t around. But I was saddened to see them trade him.”
Adams was a year removed from the Jets when Darnold was traded, but his hope was to see Darnold flourish in the Big Apple.
0:45
Graziano praises the ‘common sense’ of Seahawks in roster-building
Dan Graziano discusses the Seahawks’ roster-building strategy, and in particular their decision to sign quarterback Sam Darnold.
“Man, if only New York had some patience with him,” said Adams, who was dealt to the Seahawks before the 2020 season. “Like, he was the guy, man. He was gonna be The Guy. He just needed time.”
The Darnold-led Jets didn’t have a strong roster or a strong infrastructure. At times, they were dysfunctional. It didn’t help that he contracted mononucleosis in 2019, which cost him three games early in the year. From 2018 to 2020, he ranked 37th out of 40 quarterbacks in Total QBR (40.3).
In Darnold’s three seasons, the Jets were 13-35. Now consider his past two seasons: He went 14-3 with the Minnesota Vikings in 2024 and 14-3 with the Seahawks, joining Tom Brady as the only quarterbacks in history to win at least 14 games in consecutive seasons.
Meanwhile, the Jets have continued to cycle through quarterbacks, going from Darnold to Wilson to Rodgers to Justin Fields, extending the franchise’s streak to 10 straight losing seasons. And now, they will most likely have a new starter in 2026.
Darnold was part of the morass, but maybe, just maybe, he needed to struggle in New York.
“Everything he has endured, everything he went through has set him up to be the player that he is, the person that he is and the competitor that he is,” Beachum said. “It’s all forged him and hardened him to be the player that he is.”
IT WAS ONE of the worst games of Darnold’s career — four interceptions in a 33-0 home loss to the Patriots on a Monday night in 2019. The enduring moment of the game actually occurred on the bench, when a miked-up Darnold told a coach, “I’m seeing ghosts.”
It was aired during the ESPN telecast. In an instant, it went viral.
Using football parlance, he admitted he was confused by Bill Belichick’s defense, creating a narrative that has followed him throughout his career. The following week, in Jacksonville, a plane flew over the stadium with a banner that read: “Gardner Minshew ain’t afraid of no ghost.” The Jaguars trolled Darnold by playing the “Ghostbusters” theme song in the stadium in the final seconds of a 14-point win.
To this day, he still gets asked about the “ghosts,” but not as often.
“I like the fact that he’s reached a stage where they’re talking more about the things he’s doing on the field as opposed to a sound bite from a game, said very quickly in frustration, sitting on the bench,” Maccagnan said. “That just hangs. In your head, you’re like, ‘OK, how many players has that happened to in the NFL?’ Probably not many. Those are things that kind of hang around.”
Adams said he thought back to the ghost game earlier this season when Darnold was intercepted four times by the Rams in November.
“This time, it was different,” Adams said. “He never flinched and he came back swinging. That’s what stood out to me.”
In a way, Darnold will confront his — ahem — demons in the Super Bowl. His career record against the Patriots is 0-4; he was outscored in those games 123-23. He has one touchdown pass and nine interceptions, the second-worst ratio for any quarterback against a single opponent since 1990 (minimum: 125 attempts), per ESPN Research.
Talking about Darnold, his former teammates cited his resilience as the driving force in his circuitous career.
He was traded by the Jets. Benched in Carolina. A benchwarmer for the San Francisco 49ers. Discarded by the Vikings in favor of the unproven J.J. McCarthy.
Still, he is set to become the third quarterback in history to start a Super Bowl while on his fifth team or more.
A new narrative emerged last season, following his poor performance (nine sacks) in the Vikings’ playoff loss: Can’t win the big one.
Darnold should adopt Elton John’s “I’m Still Standing” as his theme song. His intangible qualities are what attracted Maccagnan to him during the scouting process. They’re also what endeared him to teammates.
“He always had that greatness within him,” Chosen said. “Seeing him have the opportunity to win it all on the biggest stage, I’m very excited and happy for him.”
Adams said, “Sam is the greatest human in the world and the coolest dude ever. Seriously, he’s not only a good football player, but a great dude and a great teammate. I miss balling with him, I tell you that, because I knew he’d show up every day for work.”
Asked to describe Darnold’s journey, Maccagnan made an abstract comparison, recalling the old Marlboro Man cigarette ads from the 1970s. The man in the ad was Darnold’s grandfather, Dick Hammer, who died when Sam was only 2.
“There’s this weathered, tough man in this iconic photo, and you start thinking, Sam, in his own way, has weathered very intense storms in his development with different environments,” said Maccagnan, acknowledging “a lot of those environments” weren’t conducive to quarterback development.
Maccagnan, a senior football evaluation specialist for SumerSports, an analytics-based company serving the NFL and colleges, acknowledged that he made his share of mistakes during his Jets tenure. But he always knew, from the first time his scout’s eyes watched Darnold play quarterback, that the kid had something.
“He’s the one I never second-guessed,” the former GM said. “I always felt he was the one I got right.”
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Notre Dame’s Ahmed Hesham won the men’s saber Sunday, and the Fighting Irish men joined the women in winning the inaugural three-weapon national championship at the Joyce Center.
Hesham defeated St. John’s Adham Moataz 15-12 in the final after a third-place finish last season.
Notre Dame finished with 91 points, 10 better than runner-up Columbia. St. John’s (63), Harvard (62) and Pennsylvania (58) rounded out the top five.
Notre Dame’s Chase Emmer fell short in defense of his foil title after losing 15-8 to Columbia’s Sam Kumbla in the final.
Fighting Irish freshman Kruz Schembri made it to the épée final before losing to North Carolina’s Youssef Shamel 15-7.
The Fighting Irish trio led all three disciplines after the first day.
Notre Dame won 14 co-ed championships, including six of the last eight. The Fighting Irish won last season’s title in the final year of the combined men’s and women’s team championship.
Notre Dame edged Columbia 102-99 on Friday to win the first women’s three-weapon title. Eszter Muhan won the épée for the Irish.
The first half of the Sweet 16 is set, with 16 teams playing for one of the final eight tickets to the second weekend of the 2026 men’s NCAA tournament as the second round continues Sunday.
ESPN reporters are on-site across the country, from Philadelphia to San Diego, to deliver courtside insights. Follow along as they and the staff track all the action.
Jump to: Previews for rest of Sunday’s games
Previews
All times Eastern.
5:15 p.m., CBS
How Kansas can advance to the Sweet 16: Flory Bidunga has to be the key for Kansas against St. John’s. He will have his hands full against Zuby Ejiofor, one of the best two-way big men in the country, but Bidunga has held his own in matchups against Motiejus Krivas and JT Toppin. Bidunga has also struggled mightily in other big games, five points and four points in two games against Houston, two points against Arizona and eight points against North Carolina, and his win/loss splits are telling. In Kansas’ wins, Bidunga averages 15.1 points and shoots better than 70% from the field. In losses, he averages 9.9 points and shoots 50.6% from the field. Defensively, the Jayhawks have to keep St. John’s out of transition and force the Red Storm to make perimeter shots. They ranked near the bottom of the Big East in 3-point attempt rate and percentage of points from 3s. Their 10 3s against Northern Iowa was the first time they made double-digit 3s in a game since Jan. 10. — Borzello
How St. John’s can advance to the Sweet 16: The biggest edge St. John’s will have against Kansas is on the offensive glass. The Red Storm are one of the most effective offensive rebounding teams in the country, ranking 17th nationally in second-chance points per game. Kansas, meanwhile, was one of the worst defensive rebounding teams in the Big 12, allowing opponents to rebound nearly 32% of their misses. Ejiofor and Dillon Mitchell should get extra possessions for the Red Storm. With the exception of the drubbing at UConn in late February, St. John’s defense has been operating at an incredibly high level for several weeks. The Red Storm have allowed their past five opponents to make an average of just 3.4 3-pointers per game. — Borzello
6:10 p.m., TNT
How Virginia can advance to the Sweet 16: This isn’t Tony Bennett’s team anymore. The Cavaliers knock down 3s and also score with a rugged game in the paint. They also have a top-25 defense. They’ll need all of those tools against Tennessee, which is No. 1 in the country in offensive rebounding rate. They can’t allow the Vols to dominate with second-chance points, and the Cavaliers are equipped to do that thanks to a top-five defense inside the arc. They’ll also have to limit the touches of projected NBA draft lottery pick Nate Ament. Tennessee is 2-3 in its past five games when he shoots nine or fewer shots inside the arc. They also have to pressure Ja’Kobi Gillespie (11 turnovers in the past four losses). The Cavaliers’ 3-point barrage must continue after Virginia made 13 against Wright State. The Cavaliers probably can’t win without a big game from Thijs De Ridder, but they will struggle if they go cold from the 3-point line. — Medcalf
How Tennessee can advance to the Sweet 16: Rick Barnes’ team ended Miami (Ohio)’s fairy tale Friday. The Volunteers outscored Travis Steele’s squad 40-16 in the paint to advance — and they did it despite projected NBA draft lottery pick Ament going 0-for-3 in the game. The Vols will need Ament to look more like the player who scored 27 points in an SEC tournament win over Auburn to reach the Sweet 16. Ja’Kobi Gillespie continues to make this group soar. If he gets to his spots, Ament plays to his potential and the Vols dominate the offensive glass, they will have the offensive tools to win. But nearly 50% of Virginia’s field goal attempts are 3-pointers, and the Cavaliers are a top-10 offensive rebounding team. They can play Tennessee’s game, too. The Vols will have to play it better. — Medcalf
7:10 p.m., TBS
How Florida can advance to the Sweet 16: Florida’s game prep will focus on stopping Bennett Stirtz and getting the ball out of his hands. Stirtz is a high-usage point guard, and Ben McCollum’s system revolves around him having a hand in nearly every possession. Boogie Fland has really developed as a defender this season and will likely be tasked with guarding Stirtz. The rest of Florida’s plan will be about imposing its will. The Gators are bigger and more athletic than Iowa, and they’re elite on defense. If they can speed the game up and make Iowa uncomfortable, it’s hard to picture the Hawkeyes keeping up. Iowa hasn’t played a game with more than 70 possessions this season; Florida averages 70.7 possessions per game, per KenPom. — Borzello
0:39
No. 1 Florida vs. No. 9 Iowa game preview
Check out some stats on the matchup between Florida and Iowa in the NCAA men’s tournament.
How Iowa can advance to the Sweet 16: On paper, Iowa is in for a tough night down low against Florida. The Gators have one of the most dominant frontcourts in the country, ranking second nationally in paint points per game and third in second-chance points per game. They also lead the country in offensive rebounds per game. Iowa doesn’t block shots and allows opponents to shoot 56.5% inside the arc in Big Ten play, but the Hawkeyes played a frontcourt with comparable size and ability when they faced Michigan earlier this month. And though they lost, they held their own up front, outscoring the Wolverines in the paint and scoring more second-chance points. Can the Hawkeyes repeat the feat against Florida? Iowa will also have to get the game at its preferred pace, one of the slowest in the country, forcing the Gators to play in the halfcourt more than they would like. — Borzello
7:50 p.m., truTV
How Arizona can advance to the Sweet 16: Arizona doesn’t have to tweak anything to its game plan to reach its third consecutive Sweet 16. Big 12 Player of the Year Jaden Bradley scored just seven points against LIU on Friday, and the Wildcats still put up 92 points. If they continue to rely on that depth, they’ll be difficult to stop; five Arizona players scored at least eight points in the win over Long Island. Plus, the Wildcats, who have been criticized after making just 33% of their 3-point attempts in Big 12 play, have made 39% of their shots from beyond the arc over their current 10-game winning streak. They’re different now. To stop Utah State’s offense, Arizona will have to defend well against numerous ball screens that put MJ Collins Jr. and Mason Falslev in positions to score. The Aggies will probably attack 7-foot-2 Arizona center Motiejus Krivas more than anyone else on those ball screens, and attempt to use their speed to set up big plays for their top guards. Utah State will need a magical effort to beat Arizona. — Medcalf
How Utah State can advance to the Sweet 16: Utah State will need another clutch effort from Collins and Falslev — one of the best guard duos in America who combined for 42 points against Villanova — to advance past Arizona, a team with just two losses. In the second half of Friday’s game, the pair got hot thanks in part because of off-ball screens and backdoor cuts to the basket. They have to find their spots to have a chance against Arizona, too. On defense, the Aggies could follow two blueprints against Arizona: Kansas refused to relent to Arizona’s bruising frontcourt, and Texas Tech needed a combination of 31 points from JT Toppin and perimeter pressure that held the Wildcats to a 4-for-16 clip from 3. But the Wildcats are diverse, so Utah State will need 6-foot-10 Zach Keller and 6-foot-9 Adlan Elamin to protect the paint. The Aggies will also need their guards to limit an Arizona team that has been hot from beyond the arc in recent weeks. — Medcalf
8:45 p.m., TNT
How UConn can advance to the Sweet 16: UConn can win most of its matchups in this game, even if Silas Demary Jr. is unavailable. Solo Ball can create shots off the dribble, Alex Karaban is a threat on the perimeter as a 38.6% 3-point shooter, Tarris Reed Jr. just finished with 31 points and 27 rebounds in the win over Furman, and Braylon Mullins is a first-round NBA prospect. The Huskies have dealt with efficiency issues and turnovers in recent weeks, but if they can play with more rhythm, they can beat any team in the country. If Tyler Bilodeau returns, however, their bigs — including Reed — will be challenged to defend in space. Still, a Huskies team with wins over Florida, BYU and St. John’s has overcome more star power than UCLA has on its roster. UConn can keep things simple and win. — Medcalf
0:52
No. 7 UCLA vs. No. 2 UConn game preview
Check out some stats on the matchup between UCLA and UConn in the NCAA men’s tournament.
How UCLA can advance to the Sweet 16: It would help if Bilodeau returned. The 6-foot-9 star is UCLA’s best 3-point shooter — he spaces the floor for the Bruins in a unique manner that balances their offense. Against UConn, his presence would be a difference-maker because of his size and talent. Without him, the Bruins have to work harder to find open looks against a UConn squad with a top-15 defense. And Donovan Dent, who was 4-for-17 from the field against UCF, can’t be a spectator in this game. He was one of the most coveted transfers in the portal during the offseason. He has to play to his ceiling to help UCLA beat a team that has won two of the past three national titles.
On defense, Xavier Booker will have the responsibility of containing Reed, who just finished with 31 points and 27 rebounds in a win over Furman. If the 6-foot-11 Booker can’t slow down Reed, UCLA won’t have a chance. The Bruins should also look to exploit UConn’s ballhandling woes — the Huskies have committed 79 turnovers in their past six games — especially if Demary is out again. — Medcalf
9:45 p.m., TBS
How Alabama can advance to the Sweet 16: Similar to Tech’s keys, Alabama has to win the perimeter battle. The Crimson Tide shoot the ball at an incredible volume from beyond the arc, but are not quite as accurate as the Red Raiders — and the Tide have lost four of the six games in which they have made fewer than 10 3s. Moreover, Alabama’s 3-point defense is far worse than Texas Tech’s 3-point defense. Without Aden Holloway, Alabama has fewer players who can get their own shot off the dribble, making the Crimson Tide more reliant on Labaron Philon Jr. to have another big game. As one of the elite playmakers and shotmakers in the sport, Philon is likely up for the task. But he’ll be facing a fellow All-American and first-round pick in Christian Anderson. Who wins that matchup? That’s the key. — Borzello
How Texas Tech can advance to the Sweet 16: Texas Tech is one of the few teams in America that can keep up with Alabama from the perimeter. Though the Crimson Tide lead the country in 3-point attempt rate and made 3-pointers per game, the Red Raiders aren’t far behind — they’re third nationally in 3-point shooting percentage and fifth in made 3-pointers per game. They’ve leaned into it even more since JT Toppin suffered a season-ending right knee injury, with a 3-point attempt rate above 51% in four of its past five games. At the other end, can Tech keep Philon from getting into the lane at will? He is a bit bigger than Anderson, but Donovan Atwell has shown promise as an individual defender and could draw the assignment. — Borzello
LONDON — A second-half brace from Nico O’Reilly ensured Manchester City beat Arsenal 2-0 in Sunday’s Carabao Cup final to earn Pep Guardiola’s 19th trophy in charge of the club.
After a cagey opening 45 minutes of few chances at Wembley, Man City upped the tempo and scored on the hour mark after a bad mistake from Gunners stand-in goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga. Kepa could only get his fingertips to Rayan Cherki‘s cross and O’Reilly beat Martín Zubimendi to the loose ball for a simple close-range header.
City doubled their lead four minutes later as Cherki releases Matheus Nunes and his cross found O’Reilly in a similar position to score.
With the result, Arsenal’s hopes of an unprecedented quadruple are over and their six-year wait for a trophy goes on. Meanwhile, City will hope this victory can inspire them to overhaul a nine-point deficit to the Gunners in the Premier League. — James Olley
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Passive Arsenal’s trophy drought continues
Arsenal have occupied a curious position for a while: they were in the hunt for a Quadruple while also facing questions over their ability to win any silverware at all.
The Gunners’ last trophy was the 2020 FA Cup but manager Mikel Arteta’s transformational job in the interim has positioned them on the brink of greatness. After three consecutive second-place finishes in the Premier League, the one remaining ask of them — and it is a big one — is this: can they get over the line and win?
The answer here at Wembley, yet again, was no. They ultimately paid the price for being too passive, concerned primarily with keeping City out rather than injecting enough risk in their play to create chances.
After an opening salvo, Arsenal sat deep and struggled to exert any sustained pressure, and their second-half showing was alarmingly underwhelming. Yet, they have a healthy nine-point lead at the top of the table, an inviting Champions League quarterfinal tie against Sporting Lisbon and an FA Cup quarter-final at Championship side Southampton.
Their season could still be spectacular. But trophies don’t often come to you — you tend to have to reach out and grab them. Arsenal’s ability to do that is still in doubt. — Olley
Man City put Arsenal on notice in Premier League race
Speaking at his pre-match news conference on Friday, Guardiola was reluctant to make any link between possible victory over Arsenal in the final having an impact in the title race.
“We could play good in the final and then bad in the league,” was his conclusion.
It’s a fair point, but one which ignores the nerves in Arsenal’s fanbase as they chase a first Premier League title in more than 20 years. Nine points clear, it’s theirs to lose. But City have a game in hand and Arsenal still have to travel to the Etihad in April. One slip up from Arteta’s team and it’s game on.
There were no league points on offer at Wembley, but there will be plenty of Arsenal fans heading home after the game nervous about what’s to come over the next few weeks.
The question all season has been about whether they have the mentality to get over the line when it really matters. In an age driven by data and statistics, it’s impossible to quantify what losing a cup final to City will do to their confidence.
It’s something that will only be answered on the pitch, starting with their next league game against Bournemouth at the Emirates on April 11. — Rob Dawson
O’Reilly the face of Man City’s new era
For Bernardo Silva, this was a fifth Carabao Cup final win. But for others, including match-winner O’Reilly, it was a first medal in City colours. Siva is one of the last remaining players of the treble-winning 2022-23 team. He’s likely to leave in the summer — possibly with Guardiola.
City’s new team has already started to evolve around him, built around younger players like Marc Guéhi, Antoine Semenyo and Rayan Cherki. O’Reilly, a graduate of the club’s academy, is another important piece.
He turned 21 the day before the Carabao Cup final and could yet have another decade in the first-team. He started at left-back against Arsenal — a position he could fill for England at the World Cup — but it’s likely that eventually nail down a place in midfield, the position he played regularly as he came through the ranks.
Wherever he plays, O’Reilly will become one of the faces of City’s new era. One without Guardiola or long-serving stalwarts like Silva. Depending on the next two months play out, this could end up being Guardiola’s last trophy at City. It’s likely to be the first of many for O’Reilly. — Dawson
Backup goalkeepers help decide the Carabao Cup
Neither team fielded their first-choice goalkeeper here. Guardiola confirmed on Friday that James Trafford would start for City while Arteta admitted he had made his decision but did not publicly state Kepa would play.
The pair could not have had more contrasting fortunes. While Trafford made a superb triple save from Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka (twice) in the seventh minute to stifle Arsenal’s positive start, Kepa made the mistake which turned a tight contest in City’s favour. The Spaniard could only get his fingertips to Rayan Cherki’s 60th-minute cross, taking all the pace off the ball as it dropped behind him, where O’Reilly stooped to head in.
Kepa’s complicated relationship with this fixture continues: he sensationally refused to be substituted when Chelsea lost the 2019 final to City and then missed in the shootout as the Blues were beaten by Liverpool on penalties three years later.
Kepa started every game in this competition and the decision to continue was perfectly logical in theory but David Raya is one of the best in the world these days and leaving him out may be a source of regret for Arteta. Trafford is likely to leave City after joining last summer expecting a prominent role, only for Gianluigi Donnarumma to join afterwards and usurp him. His time at City may be short but he played a key role in having something to show for it. — Olley
Haaland still in search of his goal in a final
There were questions but to Guardiola earlier in the season — when Erling Haaland was banging in goals every week — about whether City were too reliant on their Norwegian striker.
Well Haaland drew another blank at Wembley and yet Guardiola’s team still found a way to win. Haaland has looked short of his best for a while now and it continued against Arsenal. He hasn’t scored in a final since the 2021 German cup final when he was playing for Borussia Dortmund.
In the end it didn’t matter. O’Reilly popped up from left-back to score two opportunistic headers in the space of four second half minutes and it was enough to win.
It earned O’Reilly the man-of-the-match award, but it could have quite easily gone to Cherki. The Frenchman was involved in both goals as he buzzed around Arsenal’s box. In a tight game decided by fine margins, he was one of the few players who looked like he had enough space to create genuine chances.
He’s having an impressive first season at City following his summer move from Lyon and he’s capped it with at least one trophy. There’s far more to come from a young player with a very high ceiling. — Dawson
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