Rodri exposes Arsenal weakness, sends title warning after Man City triumph

Pep Guardiola's side secured the first major trophy of the season with a comprehensive win at Wembley, providing a significant boost after a recent Champions League exit and two league draws that left them trailing the Gunners.

After a balanced first half, City asserted their dominance in the second period with two quick goals from Nico O'Reilly just after the hour mark, sealing a well-deserved victory.

Rodri, who was a commanding presence in midfield, revealed that City sensed an opportunity at halftime as they noticed Mikel Arteta's side beginning to struggle physically.

When asked about Guardiola's halftime team talk, Rodri explained, "I think it was a reassuring chat that we were doing things very well.

"We adjusted a few things because I think we were doing very well in terms of pressing.

" It was more a question of personality and wanting to go for the game and not letting them off."

He added, "They dropped off a bit physically, and we detected it. We wanted to go for it.

"In the end, you can tell when you get players in the area, and you have that desire to score. Nico has shown the potential he is going to have."

The Gunners are still in a strong position in the league and Europe, but the manner of their second-half performance, arguably their worst of the season on the biggest stage, could be a significant psychological blow.

"We knew today was a very important match, not only because of what the title means but also because of what it means to beat the team in great form," Rodri said.

"It’s a game not only for this title but to show that we can beat them."

"There’s still a long way to go, and it’s clear we didn’t want to get off the Champions League train.

"We’ve been eliminated, but we have to look at the positive side that we have more time to prepare for the matches.

"That’s an incentive to take into account, and we’ll fight until the end."