Advantage Aguero
Brave Bristol suffer last-minute blow as Guardiola’s men take charge of League Cup semi-final
As soon as the final whistle sounded, Pep Guardiola made a beeline for Lee Johnson to warmly embrace his Bristol City counterpart. The Manchester City manager knew his team had been in a game but the Catalan’s congratulatory words will have been of little comfort to Johnson at that moment.
His team were just seconds away from becoming only the second side to deny the runaway Premier League leaders victory at the Etihad Stadium this season and, in turn, take a very promising result into the return leg of this Carabao Cup semi-final.
There is still life in this tie yet but Sergio Aguero’s 92nd-minute winner for City was a real kick in the teeth for the Championship side who, as Guardiola explained to Johnson on the touchline, had performed with more purpose and ambition than plenty of Premier League teams have shown here this term.
The odds, of course, are now stacked against Bristol, but they have already beaten four Premier League sides in the competition en route to this point, and a performance as positive as that produced in last month’s 2-1 victory over Manchester United should at least ensure City have a fight on their hands at Ashton Gate in a fortnight. Indeed, a 1-0 Bristol win after extratime would be enough to carry them to Wembley on away goals.
But they really could have done without that late sucker punch. This Manchester City team do not require head starts, after all. Bristol had taken the lead a minute before half-time. Bobby Reid won and converted a penalty after being hacked down by John Stones, before Kevin De Bruyne levelled matters early in the second half, but as the game entered the second minute of stoppage time, Bristol must have thought they had done enough. Then again, they will know that there is no let-up with Guardiola’s men, and so it proved.
For the sixth time this season City left it late, and for the sixth time they came up trumps. Bernardo Silva had an up-and-down night on a rare start, but his ball for Aguero was a peach, whipped over the head of a despairing Aden Flint for the striker to head home. Would Frank Fielding, the Bristol goalkeeper, have had a better chance of keeping out the header had he not come careering off his line? Most probably, but he succeeded only in clattering Nathan Baker as Aguero watched the ball sail in.
Bristol’s players looked crestfallen, and who could blame them? This had been a huge effort. It had been quite clear early on that they were not going to be overawed, and that Johnson had no intention of setting his team up solely to defend. Bristol were bold and brave, eschewing the caution shown by some Premier League sides at the Etihad, and determined to ensure their illustrious hosts were not the only ones pressing high.
It made for an end-to-end game played at a breakneck pace and full of chances but it was Bristol who thrillingly drew first blood. Their starting XI may have cost one-fiftieth of their hosts’ but Johnson took one look at Guardiola’s makeshift defence and resolved that it could be got at.
Eliaquim Mangala is no one’s idea of a £42million defender, and when he lost the ball in a dangerous position to the lively Josh Brownhill, City were on the back foot. Brownhill fed Reid, and as the Bristol striker surged into the penalty area, Stones scrambled across and scythed through Reid.
The England defender has been outstanding this term but this was a second successive mistake since his return from injury, following Saturday’s sliced clearance against Burnley from which Ashley Barnes scored. Reid made no mistake from the spot.
City were fashioning chances but they seemed to be caught in two minds in front of goal as Bristol, conquerors of Watford, Stoke, Crystal Palace and United, grew in confidence. Dogged defensively, they attacked with speed and energy on the transition. In the first half at least, Joe Bryan was enjoying himself down Bristol’s left, testing Claudio Bravo with a rasping drive and then exploiting the space in behind Danilo to unwittingly tee up Jamie Paterson with a cross-cumshot. Paterson could not make a clean connection and Bravo parried.
It was inevitable City would ask questions, though, and at times Bristol rode their luck. Flint sent one clearance straight to De Bruyne, whose shot was expertly tipped over by Fielding, but the Bristol defender was his side’s saviour moments after Reid scored. Sterling was put through and looked to have drawn City level after chipping the onrushing Fielding, only for Reid to acrobatically head clear on the goalline.
Sterling had snatched at one inviting opening soon after the restart, but deployed as a false nine by Guardiola, his pace and movement gave City’s attack impetus and he was central to the equaliser.
De Bruyne bombed forward with the ball, and with the Bristol defence making the mistake of backing off, the Belgian played the ball into Sterling in the penalty area.
For all his goals this season, it is telling just how much the England forward’s decision-making has improved, and his return pass to De Bruyne was perfect, the midfielder thrashing home.
Although briefly rattled after the goal, Bristol rediscovered their composure and dug deep. They must have believed they would cling on. Aguero had other ideas.