Blues inTo cup final
But late wobble shows the Blues may need to spend before end of the month
CITY made it to Wembley – but their continuing defensive wobbles might add more momentum to their transfer push.
The Blues tossed away a two-goal lead provided by Leroy Sane and Sergio Aguero when they were coasting to victory at Ashton Gate, sloppy defending gifting goals to Marlon Pack and Bobby Reid.
And for the watching City execs, that might have them reaching for the phone to Shakhtar Donetsk for Fred and Athletic Bilbao for Aymeric Laporte.
For a man who said the League Cup is a ‘waste of energy,’ Pep Guardiola certainly showed it some respect at Ashton Gate.
Which makes you wonder whether Guardiola, champion denier of the Quadruple possibility, is wondering if it IS feasible to win all four. Few people rolling up at Ashton Gate expected the team news from City.
Bristol fans hoped, and Blues fans feared, the manager might actually back up his weekend mutterings about Eliaquim Mangala and Ilkay Gundogan with action.
One home fan stared at the teamsheet in disbelief when it revealed the midfield trinity of Fernandinho, David Silva and Kevin de Bruyne had been reunited for this game.
Obviously, Guardiola wants to win it. The League Cup is often a springboard from which the big teams bounce into the last three months of the season – Manuel Pellegrini will tell you that, from his first season at City.
But it would also give Guardiola a chance to win his first English trophy, and with a 12-point lead in the Premier League, they will be close to a double.
As well as signalling his intentions on the teamsheet, his players showed similar ambition on the field, forcing the Robins back right from the start.
Aguero’s angled chip glanced off the bar, but Bristol were defending deep and with grit, perhaps not realising how much City’s mesmeric side-to-side passing was sapping from their legs. Perhaps that played a part when City lost the ball in an intricate passing move inside the box, but Bernardo Silva’s tenacity saw it break for Sane to slam home a right-footed shot, the ball cannoning off a defender to ensure keeper Luke Steele had no chance. Bristol tried to fight back but De Bruyne, as usual, led the charges, and from one he curved a peachy pass which gave Aguero a sight of goal.
Naturally, he thumped his shot into the far corner for his 23rd of the season.
But City’s nagging vulnerability at the back continued to plague them as John Stones, targeted by the Bristol high press, came up with a mistake and Marlon Pack headed home a goal that made it 4-2 on aggregate. And for a moment Bobby Reid revived home fans’ hopes by poking in an equaliser on the night, until another swift City counter-punch saw Sane teeup the inexhaustible De Bruyne for the third goal with the last kick of the game.
Few people expected the City team news. One home fan stared at the teamsheet in disbelief Stuart Brennan
LEROY SANE CAN BE BOTH A JOY AND A PAIN TO WATCH
NO City player is as sweet to watch in full flow. Yet just when you think a goal beckons, a miscontrol, a rushed pass or a snatched shot can often bring a disappointing end to a promising move.
To some degree, this is the curse of Sane, Raheem Sterling and all creative players. You won’t beat your man every time and not all shots go in.
Pep Guardiola has recognised room for improvement, though. He has called on the winger to do the ‘simple things’ better and reiterated that after watching his decisive intervention against Newcastle at the weekend.
He showed against Bristol City that he clearly can make better decision-making, he now has three goals and four assists in his last six games after netting the opener and assisting in the third. In the absence of Gabriel Jesus, Sane stepping up to take responsibility has been welcomed. Sane has more to deliver than he has been doing, and that should frighten just about everyone.
SHARK TEAM AREN’T QUITE DEADLY
How do you defend a lead? Attack is the Guardiola mantra.
City didn’t believe enough last season and it cost them in two cup competitions. While Bristol City were still in this tie until the last kick, the Blues looked to have taken the game by the scruff of its neck and killed it when Sergio Aguero scored the second. But, just as in every previous round of the competition, City made their evening more uncomfortable than it could have been.
Allowing Bristol to score gave them a smidgeon of hope back and even if the Championship side were never going to score the four goals necessary to stun another Manchester side, there was more lax defending in injury time.
It is an improvement from a year ago, although there is still a way to go.
STONES NEEDS A BREAK
IT is now six games without a clean sheet for John Stones since his return from injury.
The rock upon which Guardiola built his defence in the first half of the season has looked rather crumbly in 2018, and another unnecessary error did not make for happy viewing.
City’s coach will want the issues addressed as they head into the business end of the season.