Abdukodir Khusanov Wins First Trophy With Manchester City

Uzbekistan international Abdukodir Khusanov has secured his first trophy with Manchester City after the club defeated Arsenal 2-0 in the English League Cup final.

Abdukodir Khusanov started the match and played the full 90 minutes, helping his side keep a clean sheet. The defender was also shown a yellow card in the 32nd minute.

The 20-year-old joined Manchester City in 2025 from French side Lens in a deal worth €40 mln. Since then, he has made 39 appearances across all competitions, scoring one goal.

His performance in the final underlined his growing importance to the team, with the defender delivering a composed display at the back.

Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger praised the Uzbek player, saying: «Coaches love players like him – no ego, no drama just pure defending.»

Arsenal Fail To Take Early Chances

Arsenal began the match brightly and controlled much of the early play. Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka both created opportunities, but the London side struggled to convert their chances.

Manchester City gradually settled into the game and slowed the tempo, with the first half ending goalless.

Second-Half Errors Prove Costly

City increased the pressure after the break and began to dominate possession. The breakthrough came following a key mistake, as a cross from Rayan Cherki led to a misjudgement by goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga. Nico O’Reilly capitalised to open the scoring.

City continued to press forward and made use of the space left by Arsenal. A delivery from Nunes found O’Reilly, who headed in his second goal to seal the result.

From that point, Manchester City controlled proceedings and prevented Arsenal from mounting a comeback, with the Gunners unable to find solutions in attack.

Last year’s competition was won by Newcastle, who beat Liverpool 2-1 in the final.

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