Four FA Cup Truths: Arsene's new-look Arsenal silence Wenger Out brigade; Pep Guardiola is a failure

For the first time ever in his managerial career, stretching back all the way to 2008-09, Pep Guardiola will finish a season without a trophy to his name. With City also sitting fourth in the Premier League table and miles off the title pace, there is no glossing over the fact this has been a serious let-down from a manager of whom so much was expected. It was said Guardiola would revolutionise City, and possibly by extension English football, when replacing Manuel Pellegrini. He may yet do so, and it would be wrong to say City have not improved this season, but the transformation we all expected has been postponed.

Their lack of forward progress was evident against Arsenal: after City lost David Silva to injury in the first half at Wembley, they looked short of genuine ideas. Guardiola has been responsible for a few glorious periods of wonderfully intuitive football this season but his values have generally been harder to impart at City than they were at Barcelona and Bayern Munich. A lot of this is the fault of City’s poor recruitment in recent seasons but nevertheless, a Guardiola team should be playing better than City did on Sunday, even if they were unlucky to see the game ran into extra-time after Fernandinho and Yaya Toure both managed to hit the woodwork. After his first ever trophy blank, Pep needs to step things up next season.

One of the persistent criticisms of Arsene Wenger is that, 20 years into his reign, he has lost the ability to innovate and change; that he is a dinosaur, whose inflexbile approach is holding Arsenal back. The last two games have given pause for thought. After debuting his first back three since 1997 in Monday night’s win at Middlesbrough, Wenger stuck with it at Wembley, deploying Rob Holding, Gabriel Paulista and Laurent Koscielny in a bid to try and keep things tight.

Not only that, but Arsenal then unveiled a brand new gameplan which could have been cribbed from Sam Allardyce: sit deep, and kick lumps out of the opponents. A reducer from Gabriel forced David Silva off in the first half and Koscielny almost condemned Sergio Aguero to an identical fate when battering the striker from behind. There was less of a focus on physical intimidation as the game wore on but, by and large, the back three worked nicely, Aguero’s goal aside, and the two new wing-backs even combined for a goal as Nacho Monreal volleyed home from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s cross.

More significant than a new formation was the rarity of seeing Arsenal beat one of their biggest rivals in a huge game like this. Maybe Arsene Wenger really can change.

The scenario was hardly unlikely: Aguero capitalising on some poor defending to score on the break past Petr Cech, but Manchester City’s opening goal could, and should, have been averted. After Aaron Ramsey lost possession and Yaya Toure pumped the ball forward, Aguero had got goal side of Nacho Monreal and had a free run at goal. But his touch was a horrid one and the ball went rolling well away from him on the Wembley turf.

A more sprightly keeper would have taken advantage of the poor touch and stopped Aguero’s advance, but Cech hesitated. Instead of bravely charging off his line to nick the ball away with hand or boot, he seemed to weigh everything up carefully in his mind before gently meandering in Aguero’s direction and letting his shot past him. It was symptomatic of a season when he has often seemed off the pace. Yes, he made a superb save when later tipping Toure’s shot onto the post, but Arsenal need to look at other options this summer.

In a season that may yet be saved from disaster by an FA Cup win Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has been one of the few bright spots for Arsenal. Moved from the wing, to the centre of midfield and back out wide to wing-back it has been a season of adjustment for Oxlade-Chamberlain. Yet for the man affectionately referred to as 'The Ox' it has been a bit of a coming of age. Injuries really halted his development after he initially broke through, and showed great promise, but he's starting to put a consistent run of good performances together. And it might be at wing-back where he has found his home going forward.

The position allows him to combine his great athletic ability with his very underrated technique. Oxlade-Chamberlain is like hugely dangerous when he picks up the ball and gets running at players whilst his ability to pick a pass deserves more credit. His ball for Nacho Monreal's goal against Manchester City was wonderful and if Arsenal renew anyone's contract this summer, it surely has to be his?