Man City Clinch Third Straight League Cup Title
02 March, 2020
Carabao Cup Final
Result: Manchester City 2-1 Aston Villa
Date: 01 March 2020
Venue: Wembley Stadium
Manchester City have already been crowned League Cup champions for a third straight season after defeating Aston Villa in Sunday's final at Wembley Stadium..
Pep Guardiola made wholesale changes with only IIkay Gundogan, Kyle Walker and Rodrigo remaining from the UEFA Champions League win over Real Madrid but there is a return for Sergio Aguero and Raheem Sterling.
Villa were fashioning chances in the first stages nonetheless it was the Citizens who drew first blood in the 20th minute after Aguero fired home a volley in to the far corner from Phil Foden's headed knock down.
Guardiola's charges were two goals up 10 minutes later after Rodrigo guided home a towering free header in the six-yard box from Gundogan's corner.
Just when many though City would run over Villa, Dean Smith's side pounced on a blunder by John Stones at the trunk with 5 minutes left of the first stanza as Anwar El Ghazi delivered a well-weighted cross to Mbwana Samatta, who nodded past Claudio Bravo.
City were unable to find passing rhythm early in the next stanza which led to Guardiola introducing Kevin De Bruyne right before the hour-mark in place of Gundogan/
De Bruyne gave the Citizens a new dimension after coming on as Rodrigo almost restored City's two-goal advantage with 16 minutes left after but Nyland produced a excellent save to keep out the midfielder's header.
Aguero had an opportunity to wrap up the game for Guardiola's men in the last 10 minutes after Bernardo Silva, who had just seriously, made a galloping operate on the left channel and dinked a pass on the far side however the Argentine's volley hit the side netting.
Villa came very near snatching the equaliser in the last two minutes after Bjorn Engels powered a header towards goal from a corner but City shot-stopper Claudio Bravo tipped his effort in to the beyond the post.
The game stretched from end to end in the latter stages, with Villa pressurising City and threatening to snatch the equaliser but Guardiola's men held to clinch a 2-1 win and were crowned champions for a third straight year.
Source: www.soccerladuma.co.za