IT’S CITY 2 UNITED 1
But this time it’s Bristol who leave Mourinho floored
HOLDERS Manchester United were sensationally dumped out of the Carabao Cup 2-1 last night by another City — this time it was Bristol, not their Manchester neighbours.
The Robins now face Pep Guardiola’s side in the semi-finals after a brilliant injury-time winner by midfielder Korey Smith settled a thrilling quarter-final at Ashton Gate.
Jose Mourinho’s team had fallen behind to the Championship side through Joe Bryan but equalised through a Zlatan Ibrahimovic free-kick before Smith, 26, finished off United.
In the other tie, Bournemouth equalised at Chelsea on 90 minutes through Dan Gosling but Alvaro Morata’s injury-time goal put Chelsea into the other semi-final against Arsenal.
LEE JOHNSON sprinted down the line, fists clenched in jubilation, before throwing himself into the arms of his coaching staff.
In the far corner of the pitch, his players engulfed match-winner Korey Smith, whose injury-time goal had sent Championship club Bristol City through to the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup at the expense of holders Manchester United.
What a moment. What a night. They will be talking about this game in these parts for many years to come.
City just about deserved it too. Johnson’s side took the lead through a stunning Joe Bryan goal before Zlatan Ibrahimovic equalised, and then snatched a winner in the 93rd minute.
Veteran Matty Taylor lobbed the ball over the top of the United defence and Smith took it on his chest before drilling a shot past Sergio Romero. Cue bedlam. A day that started with United’s team flight being diverted to Cardiff due to fog had ended with them being knocked off course for a place in the final four.
Mourinho maintained the trend of Premier League clubs making changes even at this stage of the competition, with only Marcus Rashford remaining from the 11 players on duty at West Bromwich on Sunday. But there was still no start for out-of-favour Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
The United boss was able to call on £89million man Paul Pogba after suspension, and Ibrahimovic made his first start since his career-threatening knee injury, so there was no shortage of stardust around Ashton Gate.
But overall it was an unfamiliar line-up and one that would have offered some encouragement to a Bristol City team sitting third in the Championship having already scored nine goals to knock out three top-flight teams in Watford, Stoke and Crystal Palace.
They certainly looked high on confidence in the first half as they took the game to United and showed scant regard for their opponents’ reputations — notably Pogba and Ibrahimovic, who looked well short of match sharp- ness. Romero was not exempt either, with Aden Flint, Bobby Reid and Jamie Paterson taking it in turns to harangue United’s reserve goalkeeper every time he tried to punt the ball downfield.
Romero was forced to punch over from Josh Brownhill’s dipping free-kick after Pogba had made an untidy challenge on Marlon Pack, and then had to turn away Hordur Magnusson’s half-volley when the defender burst forward to reach a loose ball and let fly from the edge of the box.
Mike Dean and his assistants rejected a handball claim against Anthony Martial, and also overlooked Pogba’s high tackle on Nathan Baker, but City’s best chance of the half arrived four minutes before the interval.
Smith looked certain to score when he picked up the ball and dribbled across the edge of the sixyard box but Daley Blind lunged in to poke the ball off his toes at the very last moment.
It was a disjointed United performance but, in fairness to Mourinho’s side, they still created the better opportunities.
Twice they hit the woodwork in the first half. Ibrahimovic volleyed a shot into the ground from Martial’s far-post cross which took a nick off Baker on its way on to the bar, and then Rashford rifled an effort against the foot of the post with Luke Steele beaten.
Pogba and Scott McTominay both fired off target before Ibrahimovic did the same when Marcos Rojo’s header from a Blind corner reached him at the far post just before half-time. It rather summed up his performance to that point.
But City deserved to be level, and they took the lead with a stunning five minutes after the restart. Not for the first time they looked to break on United, and Pack released Bryan down the left with a clever reverse pass.
Still, it looked to have taken City’s No 3 too wide of the target as he chased downfield looking more likely to try a cross to the far post. Instead, he caught United cold with a spectacular left-foot shot that flashed past Romero and into the top corner before the goalkeeper could react. Ashton Gate erupted and rightly so. It was a wonderful goal on their big night.
United’s response was instant. Martial’s dribble gave Ibrahimovic possession 35 yards from goal and the Swede was ridiculed as he sent a wild shot out of play for a throwin on the other side of the field.
It was probably not a wise move by the home fans and they paid for it moments later. Pogba was fouled 20 yards out and Ibrahimovic lashed a free-kick through the wall, taking a slight deflection on its way into the bottom corner.
Mourinho sent on Romelu Lukaku and Mkhitaryan but United still couldn’t find a winner.
Luke Shaw looked to have sent Rashford through but Bryan got across to make a magnificent tackle and just as it looked like the tie was drifting to extra-time, Smith popped up to send Asthon Gate wild. BRISTOL CITY (4-4-1-1): Steele 7; Wright 7, Flint 7, Baker 7, Magnusson 7 (Taylor 69min, 6); Brownhill 7 (Eliasson 74, 6), Smith 7, Pack 7.5, BRYAN 8.5; Paterson 7; Reid 8. Subs not used: Fielding, Kelly, Vyner, Garita, Lemonheigh-Evans. Booked: Paterson, Taylor. Scorers: Bryan 51, Smith 90+3. Manager: Lee Johnson 7.5. MANCHESTER UNITED (4-3-3): Romero 6; Darmian 5 (Smalling 90), Lindelof 6.5, Rojo 6.5, Shaw 6; McTominay 6, Blind 6 (Lukaku 61, 7), Pogba 6.5; Rashford 7, Ibrahimovic 7 (Mkhitaryan 69, 6), Martial 6. Subs not used: Pereira, Herrera, Lingard, Mata. Scorer: Ibrahimovic 58. Booked: Rashford, Pogba. Manager: Jose Mourinho 6. Referee: Mike Dean 6. Attendance: 26,088.