Johnson: It’s only half-time
LEE JOHNSON warned Manchester City they have a tough job ahead before they can celebrate reaching the Carabao Cup final.
‘It’s not over and everyone needs to know that,’ said Johnson. ‘You heard our fans and there will be 22,000 at Ashton Gate. The atmosphere will be phenomenal.
‘I’m very proud of my team. We’re disappointed with the goal late on, but I thought the boys were magnificent. It’s only half time but we’re still in this tie.’
Having knocked out four Premier League clubs — Manchester United, Watford, Stoke and Crystal Palace — in the previous rounds, Bristol City have the confidence to believe they can turn this one around.
Substitute Sergio Aguero struck to give the Premier League leaders a 2-1 advantage, but Johnson believes his side can still book their passage to Wembley in the second leg on January 23.
Johnson added: ‘Pep Guardiola said to me we played better than the majority of the Premier League teams that come to Man City.
‘I said to the boys they’d been fantastic. The pressing in the lead-up to the first goal was absolutely amazing.
‘They showed the world they’re good footballers. Individuals stuck to the task and they weren’t frightened to be on the ball.’
Johnson had reacted to Bristol City’s dramatic late winner against Manchester United last month by twirling a ball- boy around on the touchline, but he hardly dared to celebrate when Bobby Reid fired the Championship side ahead from the penalty spot last night.
‘When we scored, I didn’t want to make Pep angry,’ he admitted. ‘But the goal was very important and we certainly didn’t park the bus.’
Up in the directors’ box, the club’s owner Steve Lansdown also feared the worst as Reid scored, appearing to mutter ‘here we go’.
Lansdown and his manager were right to be cautious as City came back to win with second-half goals from Kevin De Bruyne and Aguero.
‘ We beat Manchester United and we have to take it to them,’ said goalscorer Reid. ‘ It gives us great confidence. Going to Ashton Gate the fans will be right behind us.’
Inevitably Bristol City had to hang on at times, not least when defender Aden Flint made a miraculous clearance to head Raheem Sterling’s goalbound lob to safety from under his own crossbar.
‘It’s what I’m there to do,’ said Flint. ‘We were disappointed to concede late on but we’ve taken probably the best team in the world almost all the way.
‘City and United are two wonderful teams and we’re still in this contest.’
Guardiola paid tribute to his players as City once again demonstrated resilience.
Last season, they went behind in 18 games and only won four of them. This season they have trailed eight times and won on six of those occasions.
‘ That is fantastic,’ said Guardiola. ‘ Without that spirit you can’t win trophies in any competition. That is going to be essential.
‘It is easy to handle in the good moments but it is even better in the bad ones and we try and try and try until the last minute.
‘I am a lucky guy to train the players I have. I don’t know what is going to happen at the end of the season, but Manchester City fans must be so proud.’