City nick it on Delap’s big night
A1 7 - y e a r - old who unusually combines brute force with finesse and pace has been the talk of Manchester City’s training ground for months. Now the word is well and truly out.
liam delap announced himself with a stunning goal on his senior debut last night. He is a fearless striker whose highlights are racking up hits on youTube and he is firmly in Pep Guardiola’s first-team group.
‘Believe me, he is a pain in the a***,’ a City source said with a smile, hours before delap was leaving something on Bournemouth’s defenders. The young battering ram ended the night with a booking and a goal, which is delap in a nutshell: doing the nasty stuff, then showing moments of genuine class.
His father, rory, was in the Colin Bell Stand, a few yards to Guardiola’s left. a coach at Stoke, he had sneaked in on a scout’s pass. The Potters do not face Bournemouth until January.
His excuse for being here was fooling nobody, but who could blame him? Missing such a momentous night was not an option and he waited only 18 minutes for a burst of family pride.
Guardiola’s grin and applause were right in his eyeline as delap Jnr perfected a knee slide in the opposite corner of the etihad.
Phil Foden was the first to race to congratulate him. That was him not so long ago, of course, and the midfielder’s vision had created the goal. receiving a pass with his right foot, he volleyed the ball inside Jack Simpson. delap had pointed where he wanted it and curled a shot into the far corner with his weaker left foot. He’s a confident lad. It was a goal engineered in City’s academy.
Guardiola has more regard for this competition than most managers; the spring trip to Wembley is becoming a tradition for him. yet in the opening rounds, the kids still get a go. Just not usually this many together. Five teenagers on the pitch is a good look for a club in search of a fourth consecutive Carabao Cup.
Bournemouth, not at full strength themselves, equalised on 22 minutes. david Brooks broke from midfield with gusto and Sam Surridge held off adrian Bernabe’s feeble challenge to strike across debutant goalkeeper Zack Steffen. Bernabe would later leave the proceedings on a stretcher, in tears over a knee injury.
Jason Tindall’s side were potent on the break, Surridge showing why he boasts caps at Under 21 level for england while Brooks was a constant menace.
Kevin de Bruyne came off the bench and Foden was pushed up front. raheem Sterling entered for the tidy Tommy doyle. There was no doubting that City wanted to progress.
They found their winner when Mahrez struck a post with 15 minutes left and keeper Mark Travers was helpless as Foden stabbed the rebound into the turf and over him into the net.