Robins up for tale of two Cities
PEP GUARDIOLA has admitted Manchester City cannot be considered a truly big club until they start winning trophies on a regular basis.
ASHLEY BARNES admitted Burnley only had themselves to blame for their FA Cup exit.
Barnes gave the Clarets the lead at the Etihad, only for City to stun them in the second half with four goals.
Burnley were unhappy that City were allowed to take a quick free-kick, from which Sergio Aguero equalised, arguing ref Graham Scott should have blown his whistle for the set-piece MOTM DAVID SILVA (MAN CITY) to be taken. Barnes (below) said: “If Ashley Westwood is stood on the ball, you’re going to do that until the referee tells you to get away, so it’s on the whistle,” said Barnes. “But it’s our mistake that we switched off for that period after that for them to go and score a second. “Obviously when they turned it on they were phenomenal. We’ll look at it from our side and see what we could have done better.” ADEN FLINT laid down the cider house rules as Bristol City approached their biggest game in a decade on the crest of a slump.
Three defeats, with a goal difference of 10-1, is not ideal when the Robins are preparing to face Manchester City in tomorrow night’s League Cup semi-final first leg.
After the giddy high of toppling Manchester United before Christmas, limp surrender at Vicarage Road wasn’t just a world of difference, it was a world of diffidence. But skipper Flint, a boyhood United fan who resents the noisy neighbours’ top billing in Manchester, is relishing his chance to reach for the sky and eclipse the Blue Moon.
Not since the Championship play-off final in 2008 has there been so much excitement among the huddled masses at Ashton Gate. But seven changes or not, they cannot afford to sink to the occasion like this.
Flint said: “City haven’t won anything yet but you can’t argue that they are not the best team in the world right now. It’s probably the biggest game of my life, on a par with facing United in the last round, and I’m relishing it.
“How do we stop City? Maybe get our team bus and park it in front of the goal. We have to stick to what we know and play our normal game. I know it’s Man City but earlier in the season Southampton took the game to them and they nearly lost. When we take them back to Ashton Gate for the second leg, hopefully we’ll have something to build on.”
Watford were relieved to get back on track after six defeats in seven League games. Troy Deeney marked his return from the sin bin – missing seven of the previous 10 games through suspension – with his first goal in open play since April. Andre Carrillo and Etienne Capoue completed the Hornets’ comfortable win, but doubts persist at Vicarage Road about Deeney’s future despite manager Marco Silva’s insistence that none of his senior players will be leaving.
Goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes said: “Troy is a top professional and everyone in that dressing room respects him as part of the group. Even when he doesn’t start games, he is a big influence.
“He is the face of the club and everyone knows how important he has been to Watford’s story.
“It is up to him to decide how the story continues, but I really hope we can play together for a long time.”