HAIL STONES
Defender sets up City quest for four in a row
PEP GUARDIOLA will take aim at a fourth Carabao Cup after battling past neighbours Manchester United in a hard fought semi- final at Old Trafford.
A scruffy goal from John Stones and a 20- yard drive from Fernandinho proved enough to take City to Wembley and take another final chance away from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
United’s boss suffered defeat in a fourth cup semi- final following losses in the two domestic cups and the Europa League last season.
But for Guardiola it is all systems go for a fourth straight win at Wembley against long- time rival, Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho.
MAN UNITED 0 MAN CITY 2
OLE GUNNAR Solskjaer’s semi- final hell goes on after United fell at the penultimate hurdle again last night to Carabao Cup kings Manchester City.
Second- half goals from John Stones and Fernandinho took City through to face Spurs at Wembley on April 25 in the latest Guardiola versus Mourinho trophy spat. For Solskjaer, the managerial nearly man, the wait must go on.
After three semi- final defeats with United last season, his overall last- four record as a manager now stands at played seven, lost six.
For City the final reel rolls on. This will be their fourth in succession in the Carabao Cup. By the time Wembley comes around they will be unbeaten in the tournament for a staggering four and a half years.
They deserved it too, creating more chances and dominating the ball. United threatened before the break but once they were asked to chase the game after Stones’s goal they weren’t able to crack a miserly City defence which has now conceded just three goals in 12 games.
Fernandinho added to the steel in midfield last night with the Brazilian replacing Rodri in the starting line- up and Riyad Mahrez in for Bernardo Silva.
United recalled Victor Lindelof to the defence with Dean Henderson given a run out in goal in place of David de Gea.
Ilkay Gundogan had the ball in the United net inside five minutes but just as with Stones’s non- own goal early on and Phil Foden’s effort later in the half, it was disallowed for offside.
The omnipresent flag meant the opening period ended goalless but it was far from lifeless.
City’s stand- in keeper Zach Steffen was called into action to make a terrific save from Bruno Fernandes’s curling shot in the ninth minute. At the
other end Kevin de Bruyne was desperately unlucky with a blinding strike from 25 yards which beat Henderson but struck the inside of the post and cannoned back out.
The visitors were dominating possession but United looked dangerous through Marcus Rashford’s pace.
Fernandinho went into Martin Atkinson’s book two minutes into the second half for a scything tackle on Paul Pogba. But it was a soft foul by Scott McTominay on Sterling which proved more costly. It gave Foden the position out on the left to whip a free- kick into the danger area and Stones was able to nudge it into the goal with his right thigh in the 50th minute.
Joao Cancelo went close to doubling City’s lead two minutes later with a sizzling drive which went just over the crossbar.
With United forced to change their counterpunching approach it left them open to City’s speed on the break and Henderson had to tip a header from Sterling around his post. Henderson produced an even better save, diving to his right, to deny Mahrez in the 62nd minute.
United were not out of it and Harry Maguire was not far off an equaliser with a header from a corner.
There was though an increasing desperation about their play as was shown when Anthony Martial threw himself to the ground untouched in search of a penalty.
He got nothing, and when Fernandinho drove home a volley from a corner with seven minutes left it was all over. City go on in the competition they own.