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Manchester City are 2026 Carabao Cup champions. (Image: Getty)
The golden days of thrilling, back-and-forth clashes between the best teams in England are a thing of the past. Just look at the Carabao Cup final between Arsenal and Manchester City, a match that served only to confirm one thing: football is becoming increasingly tedious, and the sport may never recover.
Both of these clubs are leading the charge in turning the beautiful game into a series of predictable, lifeless tactical battles. Arsenal and City, in particular, are guilty of draining the excitement from what should be must-watch football.
Gary Neville called the first half “intriguing,” but that was a stretch. In reality, there were only seven shots in the first half, the lowest number in a League Cup or FA Cup final since Chelsea vs City in 2019. For a game of this magnitude, it was underwhelming to say the least.
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For those who have been following English football this season, the outcome was no surprise. Arsenal, the trailblazers of set-piece dominance, have set the tone for how the Premier League now operates. Their tactical success has led to a wave of imitators, with most teams adopting a watered-down version of the Gunners' approach.
Pep Guardiola’s City, once renowned for their free-flowing attacking football, have now opted for a more cautious, calculated game. After all, the last time Guardiola fully challenged Arsenal, his City side was embarrassed with a 5-1 loss. This time, they tiptoed their way through the final, and two quick goals from Nico O’Reilly ultimately sealed the victory.
But let’s be clear: this was not a classic. How many matches between the top teams have been genuinely thrilling this season? The explosive rivalry between City and Liverpool, which once had fans on the edge of their seats, now feels like a distant memory. Instead of brilliant individual quality, we’re left with tactical contests where flair is sacrificed for structure.
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Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola delivering instructions on the side of the pitch. (Image: Getty)
Take Bukayo Saka, for example. Once a free-spirited talent, he’s now reduced to playing a far more regimented role, one that involves little more than delivering set-pieces and sticking rigidly to tactical instructions. Sure, it’s effective. Arsenal are romping to the title and had a genuine chance of the quadruple before today. But is that really what we want from the game?
Football is an entertainment business, and right now, it’s failing to entertain.
Fans are turning away from the Premier League in droves, seeking thrills elsewhere. Why would Kylian Mbappe, Lamine Yamal, or Vinicius Junior want to play in England when they’d be dismissed for not tracking back or ridiculed for a lack of physicality? The beautiful game has lost its charm.
And here’s the scariest part: this isn’t going away.
Set-piece football is now the dominant force, and with it, the game has changed. Despite four English teams crashing out of the Champions League this week, the most efficient path to a goal in the Premier League now lies in investing in a set-piece specialist, not another £50 million forward.
The influence of analytics has revolutionised football, just as it did with baseball and then basketball. In those sports, data-driven approaches have forever altered the way the games are played. Now, football is next, and for many, the transformation is already complete.