Arsenal's hopes of achieving an historic quadruple went up in flames at Wembley on Sunday but Declan Rice remains determined to finish the season in style as they battle for three other trophies
Declan Rice of Arsenal looks dejected
Declan Rice has vowed to use the disappointment as motivation(Image: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
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Declan Rice has insisted that Arsenal's humbling at the hands of Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final has only made them hungrier to finish the season strongly. The Gunners were beaten 2-0 at Wembley on Sunday as they missed the first chance of the season to win a trophy.
Arsenal were far from at their best and Nico O'Reilly's two headers within four minutes of each other in the second half saw City home. Mikel Arteta's side went into the fixture in contention for a quadruple, but will now have to focus on their remaining opportunities.
Arsenal have not won a trophy since the FA Cup in 2020, in Arteta's first season in charge, and left Wembley disappointed. City, by contrast, claimed their fifth Carabao Cup under Pep Guardiola's management and their ninth in total with a ruthlessly efficient performance.
O'Reilly's first goal came when Kepa Arrizabalaga couldn't hold onto a cross and the City youngster netted another from the back post minutes later. Barring an impressive triple save from James Trafford in the first half, Arsenal created little and Rice has now responded on social media.
"A final defeat doesn't define us," he wrote on Instagram. "Only makes us hungrier to go on & finish the season strong. Thank you to our amazing fans as always. See you after the break."
Arsenal are nine points clear of City at the top of the Premier League table, although their rivals do have a game in hand. They face Southampton in the quarter finals of the FA Cup after the international break before facing off against Sporting Lisbon in the last eight of the Champions League.
Arteta sent a similar message to his players post-match. “We had eight amazing months with this team," he said. "Today is a disappointment. We need to use that fire in the belly for the next two months to have an incredible season. That's on us and we'll manage that energy in the right way. Now we have to go through that pain and disappointment and it's normal and it's part of football.
LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 22: Dejection for Arsenal during the Carabao Cup Final match Arsenal and between Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on March 22, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Rob Newell - CameraSport via Getty Images)
Arsenal have to pick themselves up and go again(Image: Rob Newell - CameraSport via Getty Images)
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“Very sad, very hard one to take, especially for our players and our supporters because we know how much it means to them and how much we want it, and the fact that we haven't managed to deliver that obviously is disappointing and sad, and it leaves you with a really bad taste.
“But we wanted to show respect and they won the cup and I think you have to wait for that moment when they lift it and once they've done that and they're going to have their own celebration.
“Every time you have a defeat or a draw, if that's the consequences, then you have to be prepared because that will happen when you play 70 games. It’s bound to happen at some point. But when it’s happened before this season, we haven't allowed that to happen, we have to prove it, we have to do it again."
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