Aston Villa 1, Manchester City 2: Phil Foden stars as Blues complete perfect week with Carabao Cup win
Lately, it has not been the happiest of times for Manchester City.
The title they have held dear for two years is being wrenched away by Liverpool, the title they covet most looks like being out of reach until 2022, and the knock-on effect of that has been to raise doubts about the futures of the men who have taken them to new heights.
But the last few days have brought cheer. A comeback win at Real Madrid to seize control of their Champions League last-16 tie, a long-awaited and unexpected Premier League defeat for Liverpool and, yesterday in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley, a victory over Aston Villa and a first trophy of the campaign.
After everything, not far off a perfect week.
It was not plain sailing, even if it looked as though it might be after half an hour.
With Phil Foden to the fore, Sergio Aguero put City ahead and Rodri swiftly doubled the lead. Mbwana Samatta’s flying header before half-time kept the contest alive and the holders needed a fine save by Claudio Bravo to win the competition for a third time in a row.
Serial trophy hunters
City have made the EFL Cup their own in recent years; this win not only completed a hat-trick but also made it four in five seasons.
Previously it has been a mere taster of juicier achievements to come – in 2018, a record league points tally; in 2019, a domestic treble – and Pep Guardiola’s team still harbour hopes of adding two more trophies before the current campaign is out.
Whatever happens between now and June, this was a reminder of the obsessive relentlessness with which Guardiola hunts down silverware.
“Three times in a row is a big success. It’s the consistency,” he said afterwards. “We’ve won a lot. Every game we play we try to win it, every competition we try to win it, and three times in a row, being here and winning is great.”
Grealish shackled but Villa show spirit
Villa may wonder what might have been had referee Lee Mason not wrongly awarded City a corner from which Rodri nodded their decisive second goal, and had Bravo not displayed razor-sharp reflexes to tip a Bjorn Engels header onto the post two minutes from time.
City’s 70 per cent possession did not allow much room for Jack Grealish’s obvious gifts to flourish and Villa’s most dangerous moments came from crosses by Ahmed Elmohamady or Anwar El Ghazi – the latter’s centre was despatched emphatically by Samatta.
Still, they clung on as City racked up 22 shots. With a relegation battle in front of them, Dean Smith’s side will need similar fighting spirit.
Virtuoso Foden runs riot
While Grealish only flickered, another young English playmaker burned bright in City colours.
With Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne on the bench, Foden, 19, was handed only his 10th start this season on the right of a front three but proved his team’s most effective outlet, running Villa utterly ragged in a superb first half.
He stole in at the far post to head Rodri’s ball back across goal for Aguero to bury the opener and, in one piece of virtuoso skill after half-time, controlled a long pass and set off on a dribble while juggling the ball. He rightly took the man-of-the-match award.
Rocky showing from Stones
John Stones, too, was given a rare chance to impress having fallen down the pecking order this term, but did little to silence his critics.
Samatta’s goal came after the £47.5m centre-back inexplicably fell over when trying to deal with a hopeful ball forward.
It was not the assured display with which to demand he adds to his 10 league starts and may also give England manager Gareth Southgate pause for thought as he mulls his Euro 2020 selection.