LONDON: After finishing his first season in England emptyhanded, Pep Guardiola finally collected his first trophy with Manchester City on Sunday.

Thanks to some familiar faces.

Despite recruiting more than $600 million in talent in around 18 months, Guardiola relied on City`s old guard to produce the 3-0 victory over Arsenal in the League Cup final.

Sergio Aguero, Vincent Kompany and David Silva, who formed the backbone of City`s Premier League title wins in 2012 and 2014, scored the goals at Wembley Stadium that lifted a burden of f Guardiola.

`It`s special they scored,` the manager said. `They help us to understand what it means in the club to win titles. Because they won titles, they put pressure onus to continue to win titles.

The victory, aided by Arsenal`s brittle defending, allowed City to quickly restore order after Monday`s surprise exit from the FA Cup at Wigan Athletic. The pursuit of a quadruple was extinguished by the third-tier side, but City are now one step closer to a treble.

The Premier League seems a formality for City, with a 13-point lead and a game in hand over Manchester United, who beat Chelsea 2-1 on Sunday. A place in the Champions League quarterfinals also looks certain with FC Basel beaten 4-0 in the last16 first leg.

For all the investment in players during the decade under Abu Dhabi ownership, the return in silverware seems relativelysparse. Still, the six trophies won since 2011 represents a greater haul than in the previous 50 years for a team finally emerging from the shadows of their more illustrious neighbor, Manchester United.

Kompany is the ever-present, with the 31-year-old captain collecting his sixth winners` medal with City on Sunday.

`An incredible moment for us,` said the Belgian defender, whose playing time has been limited by injuries in recent years. `You don`t want it to stop.

Every little bit of hardship you go through, it is worth it.

Guardiola had never gone a season in management without a trophy in his previous jobs at Barcelona and Bayern Munich until last year.

Now he is starting to deliver,albeit in the least significant competition for the club.

`I cannot forget how they took care of me last [season], Guardiola reflected on the Abu Dhabi ownership. `I will always remember how ... Sheik Mansour was the first one and told all the people to support me.

For Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, this is the latest chapter of gloom in a season that saw the FA Cup defence end at the first hurdle and the team slump to sixth in the league.

And the Gunners have to face City again in the league on Thursday.

`I feel that a little bit everything went against us today, Wenger said, `and we selfinflicted our punishment.

The first meeting between the sides in a domestic final was noclassic but Guardiola will not care af ter his side`s class eventually shone through at a freezingWembley Stadium.

City did not even have to hit top gear to lift the trophy for thethird time in five years.

Aguero`s 18th-minute goal gave City a halftime lead and Arsenal withered after the break as Kompany prodded in from close range after 58 minutes before Silva thumped home a lef t-footer seven minutes later.

Arsenal`s f ans lef t in droves in the final 20 minutes while City`s fans decorated the stadium with sky blue.

`It`s important,` said Guardiola. `We`re so happy, and a big congratulations to all of Manchester City, and our fans.

This trophy is for Manchester City and not for me.

`The first half we were not good, there were a lot of mistakes. In the second half we played with a lot more courage and personality we were outstanding.`-Agencies