Yahoo News Manchester City reach Carabao Cup final for third successive year despite loss to Manchester United in semi-final derby
Wherever in the city Bruno Fernandes was watching this on television, Manchester United’s incoming signing could have been forgiven for wondering if all the talk of his prospective new club’s demise had been greatly exaggerated.
Manchester City may have won the war and, in doing so, Pep Guardiola’s relentless operation will contest a third successive League Cup final at Wembley against Aston Villa on March 1, and, quite remarkably, the chance to claim a sixth domestic trophy from the past seven on offer.
But, on a night when the Etihad Stadium breathed a sigh of relief at the final whistle, a patched up United, reduced to 10 men for the final 14 minutes after Nemanja Matic’s harsh dismissal, could at least claim to have won the battle.
What it means in the grander scheme of things is hard to know. United have now won twice at the Etihad in the space of just over seven weeks but no one would be surprised if Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men - masters of boom and bust this season - went and lost at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford on Saturday, when Fernandes could make his debut.
On the night at least, though, Solskjaer may wonder what might have been had he been able to call upon Marcus Rashford up front, not to mention Scott McTominay and Paul Pogba. It was far from a flawless United performance. They were indebted to David De Gea for stopping City running riot in a one-sided first 20 minutes and thankful the hosts were horribly wasteful.
There was also a public SOS for strikers before the close of the transfer window on Friday, when Solskjaer talked about needing “someone who is going to break their nose or toe to score a goal” in what felt very much like an acknowledgment that Anthony Martial will never be that man. And yet, in the absence of a trio of key players, United demonstrated real stomach for the fight. That alone will not be enough in the long run but United’s defiance was embodied by the outstanding Fred and Matic, whose first-half goal had set the cat among the pigeons after De Gea had prevented City from claiming a landslide of first-half goals as they had done at Old Trafford three weeks earlier.
The Spaniard has had his wobbles but there remain few better at the instinctive reflex save, be it with the hands or legs, and his heroics in denying first Sergio Aguero, then Riyad Mahrez and Aguero again enabled his team to ride the early storm of City pressure. City were also denied a penalty for a push by Harry Maguire in Raheem Sterling’s back.
United just could not get to grips with City’s shape in those early stages. What started as a nominal 3-4-3 had become something more akin to 2-4-4 as City raided forward, Aguero denied by two fine diving saves and Mahrez by an outstretched leg from De Gea. But City were unable to maintain that tempo, and as the passes and movement became more sluggish, United began to settle into their shape and foraged for openings. This was never going to be a game of plentiful chances for United and, without Rashford, there was no one to really exploit the wide open spaces on City’s right side that the England striker had revelled in during the 2-1 win at the Etihad the previous month. Martial tried but never threatened and, when opportunity did knock later in the second half, he blazed a shot into the stands.
United’s goal came against the run of play and from a set piece. Nicolas Otamendi fouled Mason Greenwood 30 yards out on the left and, from the resulting free-kick, Fred delivered a ball that Ilkay Gundogan could head only into the path of Matic. The Serb’s swift crack of his left boot seemed to take everybody by surprise. It was a superb hit, the ball crashing in off the inside of the post. Claudio Bravo had no chance but this was still one of those games when City’s stand-in goalkeeper conceded the first shot he faced in a game. United had drawn first blood, just as Solskjaer had craved.
What they lacked in quality, they made up for in effort and organisation. Fred and Matic worked relentlessly as midfield sentries, and the defence was dogged. It was certainly hard to remember too many opponents keeping Kevin De Bruyne this quiet. Still, it was from a pass from the Belgian that Sterling should have levelled. Cutting inside Victor Lindelof and then De Gea, Sterling delayed his shot long enough for United to recover three bodies on the line before he blazed over. This was more in keeping with the erratic Sterling of three or four years ago and it is now a month since he scored.
David Silva was even more culpable later on. When Maguire was caught in possession by Aguero in the six-yard box, the ball rolled to Silva who could have side-footed it into the corner. Yet in a rare show of misguided decision-making, he elected to pass to Ilkay Gundogan, giving Maguire the chance to atone for his earlier mistake.
It was hard to see from where a second goal was going to come for United, even if the home supporters were growing restless, and their task grew ever harder when Matic was dismissed. Already booked for a foul on Mahrez, Matic was given a second yellow for blocking off Ilkay Gundogan. Given how many times we have seen City’s tactical fouler in chief, Fernandinho, go unpunished for those sort of fouls, Matic could count himself desperately unfortunate. Solskjaer branded the decision “a joke”.
But he had to go for broke. On came Juan Mata as United switched to four at the back. The stage certainly seemed set for Mata to take the game to penalties when United won a free-kick on the edge of City’s penalty area, and it was possible to detect Solskjaer’s frustration that Fred and not the Spaniard took responsibility for taking it. The Brazilian had apparently scored a bunch of similar free-kicks in training this week but he directed that one straight at the City wall and, with it, all hope fizzled out for United.
Player ratings
Manchester City (3-4-3):
Bravo 6; Walker 7, Otamendi 6, Cancelo 5; De Bruyne 6, Rodri 6, Gundogan 7, Bernardo 6; Mahrez 5, Aguero 6, Sterling 6. Not used: Ederson, Stones, Jesus, Zinchenko, Silva, Foden, Garcia.
Manchester United (3-4-1-2):
De Gea 8; Lindelof 7, Maguire 7, Shaw 7; Wan-Bissaka 7, Matic 8, Fred 8, Williams 7; Lingard 6; Greenwood 5, Martial 6. Not used: Romero, Bailly, Jones, Mata, Pereira, Dalot, James.
Comments time
Right then, let's have a chat in the comments section.
FULL TIME
That's it! Manchester City reach the League Cup final! United win, City win.
90 mins+3 - Man City 0 Man Utd 1
Williams is some player. He's just launched a 70 yard switched pass from left to right onto Wan-Bissaka's foot. City win the ball back.
And now Aguero is coming off for Jesus. Guardiola is just killing this one off, although is still waving his arms around as though being chased by bees.
90 mins+1 - Man City 0 Man Utd 1
John Stones is about to come on for Kevin De Bruyne for the final few minutes. Four have been added on.
90 mins - Man City 0 Man Utd 1
Fred takes the kick and hits the wall. I suspect the shot was going to rise over the bar if it hadn't hit a head first.
Guardiola and Solskjaer both issuing instructions on the touch line.
88 mins - Man City 0 Man Utd 1
Otamendi fouls Maguire in the D, the United defender having taken a brilliant first touch to go round the tackle, and this is a great chance to shoot and score. David Beckham would be licking his lips, rubbing his thighs, thanking his lucky stars etc.
Instead, United are letting Fred line it up. Good luck to you, red shirted bois.
86 mins - Man City 0 Man Utd 1
Otamendi has to boot clear a risky Bernardo pass across his own box in the 86th minute. Woopsy.
GOOOOOOOOOAAAA offside again
Man City just aren't allowed to score goals. Aguero is threaded in through the gap between defenders, the goalkeeper comes out and Aguero pokes it round him. VAR agrees with the linesman. Juuuuust offside.
83 mins - Man City 0 Man Utd 1
Otamendi batters into Walker like a tank going through cars on Grand Theft Auto. He'll take a minute to readjust to planet earth after that one.
80 mins - Man City 0 Man Utd 1
Shaw goes off, Mata comes on. Solskjaer just wants to find a goal from somewhere.
79 mins - Man City 0 Man Utd 1
If City had scored from the one touch passing move they just put together in the final third while running towards the box, it should have counted as about five goals.
RED CARD!
Matic is off! United patiently pass on the edge of the City box, Fred loses control and City break. Matic takes out Gundogan to stop the counter and the referee has no choice but to show him a second yellow. Matic may well have been about to come off for Mata there too.
74 mins - Man City 0 Man Utd 1
MISTAKE BY MAGUIRE! City have to score! But they overplay and a chance to shoot from near the penalty spot is gone. What a waste. Maguire passes straight to Gundogan, who tries to do tricks rather than toe punt the ball into the the net.
City attack again soon after, Siva plays in Aguero and he hits the side netting. The home fans are growing frustrating of untidy City passes.
71 mins - Man City 0 Man Utd 1
Sterling keeps taking on Wan-Bissaka and shifting the ball on, not doing too much damage but wearing the young defender by doing it time after time. He's won a corner, which De Gea punches away and the ball lands with Walker 30 yards out. The crowd orders him to shoot and, as is the law of football, Walker obliges and gets a heap of power behind it! The ball is flying towards the top corner but De Gea saves.
Sterling is now one v one with Wan-Bissaka again, who Gary Neville has just described as "he looks leggy".
68 mins - Man City 0 Man Utd 1
David Silva is on for Mahrez, which is exactly the subsitute I would have made if any lunatic billionaires out there are reading this and fancy offering me a job. Mahrez was losing the ball in dangerous (any) position and United could quite easily have countered and scored. Silva should help see the game out.
67 mins - Man City 0 Man Utd 1
Mahrez loses possession in the final third and United get the ball forward quickly. Martial carries it, goes outside the defender and shoots with power on his left foot but blasts it over the bar. Tough angle and too far out but worth a go, especially considering Bravo's in goal.
Andreas 'five out of 10' Pereira has come to replace Jesse 'six out of 10' Lingard.
64 mins - Man City 0 Man Utd 1
Guardiola applauds his side workrate, asking them to keep it up and stay positive. Both managers are up on the touch line, City have gained a bit of control for now.
62 mins - Man City 0 Man Utd 1
City have responded to that spell of United pressure and are making sure they control the game again. They've pushed forward and have United stuck defending in their own half.
59 mins - Man City 0 Man Utd 1
And there's the Sterling we all know. Sterling runs beyond the last man with a great pass from De Bruyne and is completely free. De Gea comes out to close him down, Sterling cuts inside, fakes to shoot, fakes, fakes, goes way wide of the goal and then launches a shot over the bar. Dreadful finish. He had to put that on target.
58 mins - Man City 0 Man Utd 1
Aguero starts dropping deep to help link play and very nearly takes advantage of Lindelof's inability to shield the ball at half way.
Rodrigo is booked for a 'tactical foul' on Lingard, preventing the counter-attack. United are playing really well now and starting to find ways to pass and keep the ball. City making scrappy mistakes.
55 mins - Man City 0 Man Utd 1
Matic is told he's on his last warning and Solskjaer may well consider taking him off. City seem really nervous on the pitch and the fans aren't helping.
53 mins - Man City 0 Man Utd 1
City appear to have adjusted their shape too. Guardiola applauds his players as they work hard to win the ball back, the crowd really don't sound too bothered about this one, there are lots of quiet breaks in noise. Maybe they're nervous? Increasingly, Guardiola seems to be getting frustrated with a quiet/empty home stadium.
50 mins - Man City 0 Man Utd 1
Fred swings the ball in and MAGUIRE HEADS IT! Just over. Ohhhhhhhh that was a big chance. City are not great at defending these set pieces.
48 mins - Man City 0 Man Utd 1
It looks like United might have switched to a diamond, with Lingard between Martial and James. I've been really impressed with Matic over the previous few weeks, a player who probably won't be at the club for too much longer but who has made a real difference in the midfield. He's just won a header thanks to being very tall and then threaded James in behind the defence. Cancelo fouls him and United have a free-kick wide right of the box.
KICK OFF 2
Greenwood off, James on. I'm not sure Greenwood was even able to get a touch of the ball in that first half, putting a quick wide player on to exploit the space on the right and left wings makes sense.
Comments at full time
Remember I'll be having a chat in the comments at full time, so come and hang out later.
Bad news, Manchester City fans
1/124 - Manchester United have lost just one of their last 124 games in all competitions when leading at half time (W109 D14), a 1-2 defeat against Astana in the Europa League in November 2019. Poised. #CarabaoCup#MNCMNUpic.twitter.com/dijv9Rr5RY
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 29, 2020
Scripting
There is a term often applied to football video games called 'scripting', implying that the AI has altered parameters within a match to increase the difficulty and advantage your opponent deliberately. It's usually reserved for occasions where you dominate a match, have shot after shot and some stupidly high amount of possession, then are sucker punched by some nonsense goal on the counter.
In real life: one shot, one goal for Man Utd.
Guardiola should consider hitting Force Quit and reloading his save game.
HALF TIME
And that's it for the first half. United are absolutely in this one! Only a goal more needed...
45 mins - Man City 0 Man Utd 1
I just don't quite understand Sterling at the moment. Ever since that Liverpool game where he got in trouble for fighting with Joe Gomez he's not been quite the same, not scoring or assisting or even playing with the same confidence. It could be a dent in confidence, maybe he's not quite as buzzed as he was at the start of the season. He's hit a few poor forward passes today again.
GOAL DISALLOWED
City score a fantastic team goal, cutting the ball across the box for Sterling to tap in past a helpless De Gea but he was just offside. An easy decision to make really, no need for VAR.
42 mins - Man City 0 Man Utd 1
That's Woodward in the stands looking all happy. Speaking of, there's a bit of aggravation between the home and away fans inside the stadium. Seems like some red flares have been set off too
41 mins - Man City 0 Man Utd 1
United win the ball and it looks like they have a chance to counter! The ball is moved wide... and as soon as it goes back inside a City player comes across to intercept. United are only able to keep the ball if they run wide with it - City are blocking the centre of the pitch.
39 mins - Man City 0 Man Utd 1
Claudio Bravo conceding the first shot is one of the great traditions of the game
— Duncan Alexander (@oilysailor) January 29, 2020
Bravo is not very good at stopping shots, or not of the elite level City need, but in his defence the shot from Matic was superb. So well struck. The technique to react and slam the ball below him like was magic.
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLL!!!!!!
MATIC SCORES!
Man City 0 Man Utd 1
Bernardo heads the ball away as the first man but he ends up knocking the ball over his own head to the corner of the box. Matic is lurking and hits a perfect volley on his left foot to power the ball into the bottom corner past Ederson. It's a brilliant finish!
35 mins - Man City 0 Man Utd 0
Rodrigo catches Lingard's toes/top of foot with a lunging tackle wide of the City box. United can curl this one into the area. Rodrigo is standing with his back to Maguire.
34 mins - Man City 0 Man Utd 0
De Gea has recovered from landing on Otamendi (not sure how Otamendi's avoided injury there to be fair) and play resumes.
Guardiola has been a busy boy tonight, taking the opportunity to communicate ideas with his players during the break for physio treatment.
Instructions pic.twitter.com/mcYJ4Un3Xd
— Sam Lee (@SamLee) January 29, 2020
32 mins - Man City 0 Man Utd 0
82% of people would dislocate their knee making that pass KDB did there
— Duncan Alexander (@oilysailor) January 29, 2020
31 mins - Man City 0 Man Utd 0
De Bruyne puts Sterling through on goal with an absolutely stunning through-ball, a proper Pro Evo 4 triangle job, but Sterling's second touch is heavy and Maguire is able to block.
Otamendi has collided with De Gea and the goalkeeper is feeling the effects after dropping onto his back. He's being treated by a physio now.
29 mins - Man City 0 Man Utd 0
The ball is curled in, Matic goes flying to ground... but the referee watched it all the way and tells him there's no chance he's getting a penalty for it.
28 mins - Man City 0 Man Utd 0
United win a free-kick 30 yards from goal and City's defensive line starts about 10 yards away from it.
24 mins - Man City 0 Man Utd 0
This is sort of what the Man City shape is like.
The idea is to flood the midfield. So Mahrez and Cancelo are wide left and right to provide width, Gundogan and Rodri are holding midfielders, and Bernardo and De Bruyne are floating midfielders there to overload or offer a wall pass/help win the ball back. Aguero is the sharp point at the top to give the shape depth and Sterling is another player floating all around the pitch. The black circles are just other positions that any of these blue shirts occupy at different times. Really interesting. It's like seven a side played with 11 men!
21 mins - Man City 0 Man Utd 0
United are occasionally able to pass their way past the press but City just drop back, absorb the pressure and win the ball back.
18 mins - Man City 0 Man Utd 0
What a move by City. Honestly, they're just brilliant to watch. City pass through the lines, Sterling plays a clever backheel on the edge of the box and Aguero just can't find the space to shoot after controlling the ball and running across the box. He eventually gets a shot away but De Gea turns it behind and the corner comes to nothing.
I'm still trying to work out the City system. Solskjaer speaks to Lingard on the sidelines to make some tactical adjustments.
16 mins - Man City 0 Man Utd 0
Sterling tries to force a pacy cross into the area for Aguero but it runs through to De Gea. United cannot get the ball to their forwards and are being tackled/cut out the second possession is turned over. But United have a chance to break now! Wan-Bissaka gets forward and Williams is all alone in miles of space on the left! Nobody's spotted it... now they have! But Williams lifts a hopeless cross into the area rather than have a shot and the chance is gone.
13 mins - Man City 0 Man Utd 0
United have barely had a touch of the ball so far. City are in total control of the pitch, ensuring there's no way United can counter them. A well executed high press gives those in red shirts a chance to pass the ball around for a bit.
11 mins - Man City 0 Man Utd 0
De Bruyne carries the ball, has runners ahead of him and curls one of those De Bruyne specials around the first man for Sterling... who goes down! City demand a penalty but it looks like a slip to me. VAR are reviewing it... and there's no foul.
It was definitely clumsy but Maguire was adamant there was no trip in the first place.
8 mins - Man City 0 Man Utd 0
GREAT SAVE DE GEA! Brilliant play by City as they work the ball forward quickly and chip into the area for Aguero to diving header it to the far corner. De Gea leaps across to turn it away.
City keep up the pressure though and Mahrez stabs one through bodies which De Gea has to react to to turn away, then Gundogan opens his foot up and curls a low shot wide.
7 mins - Man City 0 Man Utd 0
United escape giving a corner way because the ball hits the flag and stays in play. City completely dominating possession, playing a system that Gary Neville says he doesn't think he's ever seen before. I can't even work out what it is just yet.
5 mins - Man City 0 Man Utd 0
United seem to be a back four but Shaw and Williams have already swapped positions a couple of times to help each other out.
I wonder if Otamendi is actually basically playing as an old fashioned sweeper today. Forget the formations, you've got Gundogan and Rodri in midfield to protect against counter-attacks, Walker is both right back and extra centre-back, and Cancelo is left back and left centre-back.
2 mins - Man City 0 Man Utd 0
Cancelo is wide left and I think City are playing with a back three, with Cancelo the left sided centre-back. That three turns into a four (or rather a two) once City have the ball.
KICK OFF
And we're off! United get the game started.
Ed Woodward in the stands
He's with Sir Alex Ferguson.
The players are out on the pitch now doing hand shakes and high fives.
Join me in the comments at full time
I'll be going 'below the line' at full-time to chat in the comments, so if you'd like to have your say, ask anything, or point any of the numerous errors I'm bound to make, let's hang out later.
How Manchester City will play
That City line up could work in a few different ways. Otamendi is the only player guaranteed to play in one position tonight. I wonder if Walker will start as a right centre-back, with Cancelo on the right as a wing-back, Rodri as left centre-back next to Otamendi. That will be a back three in certain phases, and Sterling could play as a left winger maybe?
More likely is that Cancelo starts as a left-back and Rodri is the six in a 4-3-3. De Bruyne and Gundogan should be centre midfielders. It could be anything really, and is probably going to change quite a lot during the game. That's part of the fun with Guardiola.
Guardiola wants to attack
Are you playing a back three?
Hmmm four three four.
Seems unfair if they're allowed 12 players tbf. He means that the back line will be both a three and a four, to be clear.
They play three in the back last time and second half played a diamond, they played five at the back and seeing the lineup maybe it's not going to happen.
Do you approach this like it's 0-0?
No because we have 2-0. We have to play the game to score the goals, play a lot of offensive players. If you put out the defenders maybe you think we are defending something, but we want to score goals and play our game.
They play a lot of Oasis songs at the Etihad
Like, I get it. They have some absolute belters but just watching the Sky Sports feed for 20 minutes I've already heard two songs, including one from Standing on the Shoulders of Giants. Trying to remember if I liked that album or not. It goes 'What's the Story > Definitely Maybe > Be Here Now > Standing on the Shoulder of Giants >>>>>>>>>>>>>> all the other albums they made. I couldn't tell you what they're called.
Oh and if you imagine scrolling about two metres further down your phone/ipad/computer, that's where Beady Eye belong.
(music is subjective, if you like Beady Eye that's OK. Don't panic)
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer pre-match interview
On Bruno Fernandes:
Well we've agreed with the club so hopefully we can announce it soon we've got the deal through so that's of course exciting.
On Ed Woodward:
Everyone at the club is disgusted with what happened. Our fans our passionate, opinions can be voiced in different ways. We've got to stick together and stay united. I'm sure our fans will support us tonight.
Gary Neville on the Woodward situation
"People's families should not be attacked through football."@GNev2 reacts after Ed Woodward's house was attacked last night.
Follow live updates and clips as #MCFC host #MUFC in the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg live on Sky Sports Football here �� https://t.co/B3eLke7Lcvpic.twitter.com/h1q2WZyLt8— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) January 29, 2020
Ed Woodward's home attacked
The news from last night that masked hooligans launched smoke bombs at Ed Woodward's house last night is fairly shocking. It's football, lads. It is a game. The whole world has gone a bit mental the last few years and there are quite a large number of people who could do with some perspective.
Darren Fletcher on tonight's match
"If I'm a City player I'm thinking why is the game not over? It should be dead and buried.
"United will be thinking 'we've got away with one here'. All you can ask for in football is a chance and to believe you can take that chance."
Brandon Williams as left winger?
I think United are lined up in a 4-2-3-1 tonight with Williams playing left wing, even though he's really a left back. This also means they can defend as a five, with Luke Shaw moving more central to become an extra centre-back during certain phases of play. Anthony Martial will be the number nine, Mason Greenwood plays off the right, Jesse Lingard will move between playing as a 10 and an eight.
Hello!
It's January and we already have a semi-final! How exciting. Even better is that it's a Manchester derby between a fallen (falling?) giant and a very wealthy one. Actually, both of these teams are fairly loaded.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer needs something special to happen tonight if his side are to have a chance of reaching the final. Away goals don't count and so it's very possible we are treated to a mid-season penalty shootout this evening if United turn up with a performance.
New signing Bruno Fernandes won't be featuring tonight and it's unlikely he gets paraded in front of United's city rivals... but what a difference he would make. Guardiola seems to take this competition somewhat seriously, mostly because his obsession with winning goes beyond that normally considered healthy in a human.
The teams are in and this is what they look like:
Your City line-up for tonight!
XI | Bravo, Walker, Rodrigo, Otamendi, Cancelo, Gundogan, Mahrez, De Bruyne (C), Bernardo, Sterling, Aguero.
SUBS | Ederson, Stones, G Jesus, Zinchenko, D Silva, Foden, Garcia.
�� #ManCity#CarabaoCuppic.twitter.com/S2BLihX9AW— Manchester City (@ManCity) January 29, 2020
I'm not sure how I feel about having a cup keeper. Just stick with Ederson, surely.
Meanwhile:
Team news time! ⌚
Ole makes 4️⃣ changes from our win at Tranmere...#MUFC#CarabaoCup— Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 29, 2020
Kick off is at 7:45pm, stay with us for updates and analysis throughout the match. United tend to be better when they don't have the majority of possession, which is exactly what will happen tonight and it really depends on how professionally City treat it. If they come out, control the ball and keep things safe to protect against those killer counter-attacks, a place in the final (again!) will be theirs!
