Life in Kompany and other things learned as Guardiola seals first Man City trophy

Kompany is nursing his poor, fractured body for half the season yet, in just his fourth appearance of the year, played as if those old war wounds were never sustained.

According to transfermarkt.com, Kompany has missed a staggering 123 games in the last four-and-a-half-seasons and, with the signing of Aymeric Laporte in January, it looked as if the end was nigh as far as his Man City career was concerned.

There is clearly some petrol left in that V8 engine of his however as at one point he outsprinted Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang, who desperately needs a jump-start to his Arsenal career, to snuff out a promising attack.

In the second half he won the corner from which he stabbed home City’s second and sealed what was to become his seventh trophy in City colours.

At the club since the very start of the Abu Dhabi era, Kompany is not yet a museum item – on form he is still comfortably the best central defender at the Etihad Stadium.

If Pep Guardiola manages him carefully and rolls him out for the big games then he is still of immeasurable use to City. The modern game lacks for leaders and the Belgian is the very epitome of the word.

Jack doesn’t lack for effort

It would be wrong to lavish Wilshere with praise off the back of this performance but he was the man that Arsenal looked to time and time again in search of inspiration.

Which is why it is bizarre that the Gunners continue to pussyfoot around talk of an extension when they are more than happy to dish out £350,000 a week to an equally mercurial Mesut Ozil.

Starting out on the left, Wilshere provided thrust – although not too much cut – completing four dribbles and being fouled four times. The hot-head reached boiling point towards the end of the game as Arsenal limped to an embarrassing defeat but he stood out for both the right and wrong reasons, whereas Ozil proved himself yet again as a master of hide-and-seek.

Arsene Wenger may think of Wilshere as expendable. Given the paucity of top quality, homegrown midfielders in the Premier League – and on his day, Wilshere is one – he deserves a little more respect. On an evening in which Mustafi can be beaten so easily for Aguero’s opener, at least Wilshere shows bite.

No treble trouble

‘How many trophies have you won under Guardiola?’ The oft-repeated question on social media, by rather jealous fans of other Premier League clubs, can finally be put to rest. Or at least amended to ‘What have you won except for the League Cup?’

But make no mistake, this was an important milestone for Pep Guardiola after City’s unsavoury exit at Wigan in the FA Cup last weekend.

Avoiding defeat on a (relatively) big stage was just as important as winning a trophy, given all the hype that has swirled around Guardiola’s side and deservedly so.

They have shown a little frailty in the last month. If we ignore the 4-3 scoreline they were blown away by Liverpool, held by Burnley and endured an ugly night at Wigan in more ways than one.

Now with one piece of silverware in the cabinet and another, in the Premier League, ready to be airlifted out of London, they can now afford to think of a treble. The League Cup is a timely shot in their history-seeking arms.