PEP REACHES HIS FIRST CUP FINAL
Bristol City stage late rally but Pep’s going to Wembley
THEY will be talking about this cup run in the West Country long after Manchester City have been to Wembley and moved on to bigger and better things.
For their beaten opponents, it has been quite a ride.
Bristol City bowed out of the Carabao Cup last night after taking four Premier League clubs with them.
They will always treasure the night they knocked out Manchester United here, but beating Manchester City as well was beyond even Lee Johnson and his Championship heroes.
Their club’s dream of a first major cup final for 109 years is over, but the hope is that they will be facing United and City in the top flight next season. This is a team and a venue worthy of a place in the Premier League.
Even when all seemed lost, they continued to fight deep into injury time. It is not hard to see why Johnson has caught the eye of City’s hierarchy.
A goal down from the first leg in Manchester a fortnight ago, Bristol went three behind on aggregate early in the second half last night to efforts from Leroy Sane and Sergio Aguero.
Marlon Pack pulled a goal back in the 64th minute. Then Aden Flint got one more in the third of five minutes of added time. Another and, unbelievably, it could have gone to extra time.
Ashton Gate sensed a miracle to eclipse that victory over United, but Kevin De Bruyne scored with the last kick of the game to send City through. For the second time in this tie, Bristol had only lost to the Premier League leaders in injury time.
Pep Guardiola’s side proceed to the final against Chelsea or Arsenal at Wembley next month, and deservedly so. Over the course of the two games they were the better side.
Once again they did it the hard way, though. After edging out Wolves and Leicester City on penalties in the earlier rounds, there really was no need for more late drama last night.
Guardiola will not have appreciated that, but the first part of an historic Quadruple is now in sight and few would doubt City’s ability to go all the way.
For now, the Spaniard will settle for one trophy after finishing his first season in England empty-handed for the first time in a decorated coaching career.
The Carabao Cup might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but Guardiola knows how crucial it could be for the club’s future and his own.
‘It’s important for Manchester City,’ he said. ‘ Since Sheik Mansour took over the team, we achieved titles under Roberto Mancini and Manuel Pellegrini.
‘To grow up you need titles. We are going to try in February and in the Premier League. We will be judged and that depends on the titles we are able to win.’
There was little hint of the drama that was to follow in a rather uneventful first half that saw City quickly assume the upper hand.
The first two chances fell to them as Aguero’s cross clipped the outside of the far post before John Stones just failed to get on the end of David Silva’s free-kick.
Bristol gradually gained a foothold in the game as they tried to match City’s energy, but they rarely caused Claudio Bravo problems in the first half until City’s somewhat erratic goalkeeper had to clutch Flint’s header from Hordur Magnusson’s throw-in under his crossbar.
Luke Steele was significantly busier at the other end, and he was relieved to see a loose ball evade Aguero in front of goal after getting a hand to David Silva’s shot from a narrow angle.
But the former United trainee could not stop City from taking a two-goal aggregate lead in the 43rd minute.
Bristol were given a warning two minutes earlier when Bernardo Silva got away from Magnusson and forced Steele into a smart save. When Magnusson tried to shepherd the ball out of play on the left moments later, the Portugal international stole in to guide it into the box. Sane reacted instinctively, sweeping a shot towards goal, and Flint stabbed the ball over the line as he tried to keep it out.
If that goal had left the home fans deflated at half-time, City’s second within five minutes of the restart threatened to spoil the party completely.
Johnson had no choice but to chase the game and replaced midfielder Liam Walsh with striker Famara Diedhiou. There was always the danger that a more adventurous approach would leave his side exposed, and so it proved.
City broke at pace and De Bruyne held off Pack before flicking the ball neatly away from his opponent to buy himself a little more time and space.
His next touch was even better, curling the ball majestically into the path h of Aguero who was galloping towards the edge of f the box.
From the moment the Argentine took the pass under control, there was little doubt about what would happen next. The finish was typically clinical as Aguero buried the ball into the back of the net from 15 yards.
Bristol pulled a goal back in the 64th minute when Stones was punished for an error — by no means his first recently — as he gave the ball away and Jamie Paterson crossed for Pack to head the ball beyond Bravo.
It appeared to be little more than a consolation until Flint struck in injury time, turning the ball home from close range after Bobby Reid had headed across goal.
Suddenly, a sense of hope surged around Ashton Gate. Surely they couldn’t do it again? Sadly for them, the answer was no.
City swept forward and Sane pulled the ball back for De Bruyne to finish emphatically. City’s class had made the difference when it mattered once more.
They go through, and rightly so. But Bristol City will cherish the memories of this cup run for a long time to come.