Bristol buzzing for harsh battle with Manchester City

BRISTOL City manager Lee Johnson is relishing the prospect of tackling all-conquering Manchester City in the League Cup semifinals, after his side dumped holders Manchester United out of the competition.

Korey Smith struck in stoppage time to earn second-tier Bristol City a 2-1 win over United, at the Ashton Gate, on Wednesday night.

The cheering was still reverberating at the Ashton Gate home ground of Bristol City when the semifinal draw offered them an even giddier follow-up.

Bristol City’s winner came after United’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic had cancelled an opening goal by Joe Bryan in the 51st minute.

The English Championship side will face runaway English Premier League leaders Manchester City over two legs, but having also seen his team eliminate Watford, Stoke and Crystal Palace, Johnson cannot wait.

“It keeps everybody talking – it keeps the city buzzing, and all of the press coverage the players get, they deserve,” Johnson – whose thirdplaced Championship side are pushing for top-flight promotion – said.

Of facing Manchester City, he said: “It’s brilliant. It will be amazing for the players to test themselves, but also for the fans and myself to hopefully have two great days.

“Manchester City is a beast of a club, but so fascinating.

“You see the football that they play – it is unbelievable to watch.”

Johnson celebrated Smith’s 93rdminute winner over United by racing down the touchline and then swinging a jubilant ball boy into the air.

“I didn’t know what to do. Laugh or cry, noone knew,” he said.

“To beat Manchester United at home is a historic occasion and that Korey goal at the end will live in the memory for many generations.

“You don’t beat Manchester United if you are Bristol City unless every single player is doing a man-and-a-half’s job. These players will now have a bond forever.

“The players have been phenomenal. It’s a young group with real quality and energy and every single one of them will go down in the folklore of Bristol City football club,” Johnson said.

None more so than Joe Bryan, a popular Bristolian and product of the club’s academy, whose wonderful second-half strike had put City ahead – before Ibrahimovic’s equalising free kick looked likely to inspire a United comeback win.

Still, Bristol City kept believing, and were rewarded by Smith’s superbly taken left-foot winner on the turn in the final seconds.

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho felt Bristol City had been a bit lucky , but described their win as a beautiful day for football.

Johnson knows there could only be one way to top a win over Mourinho – that is beating Pep Guardiola. “It’s on to Manchester City – and there’s another chance for the players to test themselves against another elite group,” he said.

The key for Johnson’s side will be managing to stay in the tie in a testing first leg at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium early in the New Year.

If they can keep any away-day deficit down to manageable proportions, Johnson’s young, eager outfit could cause a few problems in the return at their tight Bristol fortress.

Chelsea face Arsenal in the other semifinal of the League Cup – now known as the Carabao Cup – for sponsorship reasons.