Wembley, March 2 - There was yet another trophy for Manchester City’s silverware cabinet with the League Cup final going their way in a 2-1 win over Aston Villa. Goals from Sergio Aguero and Rodrigo proved to be enough and clinched a third-straight Carabao Cup. City have now won the last six domestic trophies, creating a legacy that the club’s next generation of players will struggle to live up to. City coach Pep Guardiola said: “The important thing is that everyone knows we have responsibility to the titles, eight from nine is something remarkable. It is incredible. It would be difficult for anyone to do it again — not just us but our opponents.”
Aguero’s goal was his 253 for the club. “Sergio has won 13 (trophies) since he was here. His legacy for new strikers coming will have to compare to his high standard — if you want to compete in Europe you have to do that. I think when you review what you have done in the last nine competitions, it’s because this group (of players) has something special,” said Guardiola who has won 30 trophies in his 11-year managerial career.
City went ahead in the 20th minute when Rodrigo chipped to Phil Foden who spotted Aguero advancing and headed back to him and the Argentinian striker needed no better offer than that to shoot past Orjan Nyland. Foden then missed a fine chance to score when his curling shot went wide.
But on the half-hour the lead was doubled from a corner when Rodrigo rose above the Villa defence to head home the decisive goal. It was, however, a controversial goal as the corner should not have been awarded. A shot blocked by Villa’s captain Jack Grealish bounced off City’s Llkay Gundogan and should have been a goal-kick. The assistant referee flagged for a corner but the referee Lee Mason was in a better position and should have overruled him. Villa coach, Dean Smith was furious and that was understandable.
Villa scored four minutes before the break to get back into the game. It was helped by City defender John Stone slipping as he ran following a pass ahead. It allowed Anwar El Ghazi to sprint through on the left and cross perfectly for Mbwana Samata to get between two defenders to put in a firm diving header.
Having had more of the possession in the first half, City did the same in the second as Villa looked for the equaliser. The game got a little scrappy, Raheem Stirling was given a yellow card for a late tackle on Frederic Guilbert and Marvellous Nakamba was lucky to escape a red card for his two-footed lunge at Aguero.
Villa were denied drawing level in the 88th minute when Claudio Bravo made a brilliant save.
Bjorn Engel got a fine header from substitute Conor Hourihane’s corner and City’s keeper, falling backwards, managed to push the ball on to the post.
Villa coach Smith said: “At 1-0 we were always in the game and it wasn’t a corner but there was nothing I could do about that. It was a goal kick but we’ve got to defend the corner better. I was never convinced the game was going to run away from us even then.”
“I could tell from the players body language when they went out there that they were ready for this game.”
“We had our moments but it wasn’t our day today. We came here with an awful lot of belief although a lot of people had written us off. There were a lot of people in that dressing room determined to prove people wrong. There was never a sense of a backward step from my players and that’s what pleased me more than anything,” Smith added.
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
