Manchester City have won the Carabao Cup for the fourth season in succession with a 1-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.
Result: Manchester City 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur
Date: 25 April 2021
Venue: Wembley Stadium
Pep Guardiola changed six from their win over Aston Villa on Wednesday as he introduced Zack Steffen, Joao Cancelo, Aymeric Laporte, Fernandinho, Raheem Sterling and Kevin de Bruyne, who returned from injury. Spurs were given a massive boost as Harry Kane was passed fit, while Harry Winks also came into the side.
City were controlling the ball well as usual and in the seventh minute, Sterling got the better of Serge Aurier before finding Phil Foden in the middle but the final shot was wide from right in front.
The Citizens had started very brightly, enjoying over 70 percent of the possession and looking the sharper of the two sides.
In the 26th minute Eric Dier relinquished possession and City broke with De Bruyne drilling the ball across goal and it fell nicely for Foden from six yards out but his shot was blocked onto the post by Toby Aldeirwereld and out for a corner.
In the 36th minute Sterling beat Aurier again and wasn't far off with a delicate dink over Hugo Lloris. And then Mahrez cut inside from the right and curled the ball inches wide of the far corner as Spurs found themselves really struggling to cope.
Shortly before the break De Bruyne was allowed time on the ball and curled one towards Sterling who just couldn't reach it on the stretch.
Sterling then missed a good chance to open the scoring. De Bruyne's slide-rule pass released him down the left and he came inside before curling wide of the far post.
With 20 minutes to go De Bruyne whipped in a fantastic ball from the right-hand side to the back post which found an unmarked Fernandinho but his effort on a bit of an angle was straight into the clutches of Lloris.
Soon after Ilkay Gundogan played in Sterling down the right and he cut the ball back to the German, who fired wide on his left foot. And then Mahrez came close again with another curler towards the far post corner after cutting inside on his left.
Guardiola's side would eventually broke the deadlock in the 82nd minute. Aurier was the culprit giving the free-kick away close to the corner flag on the right. De Bruyne whipped a fantastic delivery in and Aymeric Laporte rose above Moussa Sissoko to head into the corner of the net past Pierre Emile-Hojbjerg on the line.
And in the end City were full merit for their victory as they closed out the game comfortably to win the Carabao Cup for an eighth time in their history.
