Manchester City have won their first trophy this season after a Carabao Cup victory against Tottenham. Man City left it late after missing a flurry of chances however, Ayermic Laporte rose above all other challengers to head the ball home in the eighty-second minute. This victory for City makes it four seasons in a row they have won the competition.
A Manchester City Cakewalk:
The scoreline may have been close on the day, but the performance was night-and-day between the two sides. Man City sat firmly in the driving seat from the word go, whilst Spurs were little more than passengers enjoying a day out in the Wembley sun.
Within ten minutes City were dominating in possession, corners and shots with all the grace any Guardiola side has become known for. However, for all their ability Man City failed to get their breakthrough. Riyad Mahrez would strike narrowly wide in both halves and Phil Foden looked set to score only for Spurs’ Toby Alderweireld to deflect his shot onto the post.
With every shot that cannoned off the woodwork, was narrowly blocked or just wide, it was clear however that Spurs time was coming to an end. Finally, in the eighty-first minute, Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte produced a bullet header to give City their deserved lead. It was shoddy defending from Spurs, but a brilliant header from Laporte.
Man City will leave with their first piece of silverware of the season. This could be just the start with the Premier League and possibly a first-ever Champions League on the horizon.
Controversy over Class:
Despite the undoubtedly deserved winners Manchester City leaving as the victors the game was still filled with controversy, both before and during the game.
For starters, the question over Tottenham’s sacking of manager Jose Mourinho just a week before the final raised eyebrows. Whilst his replacement Ryan Mason did his best when leading The Lilywhites into war it was always an uphill battle. His opposing manager Guardiola currently holds the highest win percentage in Premier League history and has lost just one cup final in his career. That loss coming against none other than Jose Mourinho.
On the pitch, goalscorer Laporte’s place on the field was brought into jeopardy as he committed two first-half fouls and remained on the pitch. “He should be off”, was the verdict of commentator Gary Neville and it’s tough to argue with that opinion. However, there was the feeling if not Laporte someone else would have scored a winner for City.
This game was also the first meeting of prospective SuperLeague sides. A week removed from the league’s initial announcement a bitter taste still remains in the mouths of all football fans.
Enjoyed this article? Let us know in the comments! And why not follow our socials? You can Follow, Like and Subscribe to WD Sportz for more football news and updates
Cover Photo Credits (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
