STERLING SILVERWARE
Raheem is City’s Wembley shootout hero:
PEP Guardiola made sure his City players practised their penalties before the Carabao Cup final, but left it up to them to decide who stepped up and when at Wembley.
Weeks after suffering a 6-0 defeat at the Etihad, an impressive Chelsea performance took the Blues all the way before Ederson made a decisive save to clinch a second successive League Cup.
For all the manager likes to control every aspect of the game, he explained he has nothing to do with selecting the penalty-takers because he allows the players to step up and take responsibility.
“Yesterday after the training session we spoke with Mikel [Arteta]. The guys practised because we knew it could happen,” he said.
“We practised like it was the final and the decision for the penalties I don’t like to say you and you [pointing]. It has to be the players.
“The players choose which ones take and the position they would like to shoot. Ederson made the difference.”
Raheem Sterling stepped up to smash home the fifth and winning penalty, marking the second game in a row he has made the decisive strike.
Having endured more criticism than most over the course of his young career and after being abused at Stamford Bridge in the December defeat, the 24-year-old walked up to the Chelsea end and won the match for his team.
“He has confidence,” said Guardiola. “Penalties is belief, saying ‘I’m going to take it.’
“He decided to take the last one and he did it so good. I appreciate it when the guys have the courage to step forward and say they’re going to take the penalty because they feel the pressure but I think Raheem likes these kind of actions.”
Guardiola added he thought ‘personality’ was the reason behind his side’s victory.
“Of course I’m happy,” the City boss added. “Compliments to Chelsea, they played an incredible performance. I’m happy to win backto-back in this competition for the first time in the club’s history.
“The important thing when it comes to penalties is personality and we did it.
“We played incredible players, Chelsea have incredible quality and after the result two weeks ago we knew it would be more difficult. It was a final.”
Aymeric Laporte and Fernandinho both suffered injuries at Wembley, with the defender taken off at halftime with a hamstring problem before the Brazilian midfielder was withdrawn at the end of normal time.
And Guardiola said the challenge of competing on three front was made harder by the duo’s injury concerns.
“Being in so many competitions is demanding and tough and we have players injured,” he explained.
“I don’t know how far we can arrive with Laporte and Fernandinho injured, but it’s better after winning the game.”