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LONDON. — Zlatan Ibrahimovic appeared to take a swipe at Arsenal after Manchester United’s EFL Cup victory. The Swede scored twice as United beat Southampton 3-2 at Wembley on Sunday. Ibrahimovic opened the scoring with a free-kick before heading the winner late on.

It was the striker’s 26th goal of a quite incredible season since moving to Old Trafford on a free transfer last summer.

Having already won the Community Shield during his short time in Manchester, the Swede seemingly had a dig at the Gunners.

Arsenal have won the FA Cup and Community Shield twice each in recent years but continue to wait for the English Premier League title.

“We are winning. After seven months I have two trophies with this club,” said Ibrahimovic.

“There are other clubs that didn’t win for 10 years. I’ve won what they won in 10 years, so I’m happy with that.”

The victory also saw United move ahead of Liverpool as the most-successful club in England, with their 42nd honour.

Ibrahimovic also likened himself to a lion after his match-winning performance for Manchester United in the EFL Cup final against Southampton.

The striker’s age had caused some to question how effective he would be but the 35-year-old said: “I’m an animal. I feel like a lion. I don’t want to be a lion, I am a lion.” Asked whether he meant he possessed the hunger of a lion, Ibrahimovic said: “The lion is born a lion – it means I’m a lion. I feel in good shape. I train hard. People who know me from the locker room know that I train very hard. I have an objective every season I go into. And to reach that objective I need to train hard and I need to suffer when I train; that is how I achieve what I achieve.

“I’m from the old school where they work hard and get what they get from doing the hard work, not like the new school where it is easy to get what you want.”

Ibrahimovic added: “This is what I predicted. I came here to show people what I would do and I’m doing it.

“I came to win and I want to keep going. The more I win the more satisfied I get.”

Ibrahimovic celebrated his League Cup final heroics in typically bullish style as the Manchester United star insisted he never doubted he would thrive in England. Ibrahimovic scored twice in Sunday’s thrilling 3-2 win over Southampton at Wembley, opening the scoring with a powerful free-kick before sealing the first major trophy of his time at United with a clinical 87th minute header.

When the Swedish striker joined United on a free transfer last year after leaving Paris Saint Germain critics questioned whether he was past his best.

But the 35-year-old has spectacularly silenced those jibes with a brilliant first season with United.

His goals have kept United in the hunt for a top-four finish in the Premier League and now he burnished his already glowing reputation with a memorable Wembley double to take his goal tally for the season to 26 in all competitions.

But for Ibrahimovic, who has collected trophies wherever he has gone in a remarkable career encompassing spells at Barcelona, Juventus, Inter Milan, AC Milan and Ajax, it was no more than he expected.

“This is a team effort. This is what I came for, to win — and I am winning. The more I win the more satisfied I get,” Ibrahimovic said.

“You appreciate it more the older you get. Wherever I have gone I have won. I think this is trophy number 32 for me.

“This is what I predicted. To many I could not do it. My friend, I keep doing it. I’m enjoying it in England.” — The Mirror.