This was the first trophy City won in the Guardiola era without sporting director Txiki Begiristain being present. But his successor, Hugo Viana, must have felt a huge sense of satisfaction as he watched two of his recent signings, Semenyo and Cherki, boss the match, while Trafford also made his mark.
Viana has been given plenty of money, spending £260 million across the summer and winter windows, but nearly all of his additions have been successes, with the exception of Tijjani Reijnders.
In terms of value for money, it is hard to beat Cherki, who has been a real coup for £34m, the same price Manchester United paid for Joshua Zirkzee a year previously. Cherki is known for his devilish flair, and Guardiola was seen shaking his head when he preceded to taunt Arsenal with kick-ups during the game. And yet it was his hard work and guile which stood out here. Semenyo, meanwhile, was a constant thorn in Piero Hincapie's side, with his speed and power also helping nullify Arsenal.
The one thing Viana and Co. could be criticised for is leaving Trafford in the lurch by signing Gianluigi Donnarumma late in the window, but the goalkeeper had a day to savour here. His triple-save early in the match, which was in complete contrast to Kepa's blundering display, vindicated the decision to sign two quality goalkeepers last summer.