Carabao Cup Final: Aston Villa 1 Vs 2 Manchester City

The sixtieth League Cup Final saw Aston Villa go up against Manchester City,  the former being the first ever team to win it whilst the latter being the most recent club to win it.

Aston Villa manager Dean Smith saw the opportunity to become the first English manager to lead a team to a League Cup trophy since Steve Mclaren with Middlesborough in 2004. Man City on other hand boast a record of winning four of the last six League Cups over the past six seasons.

Match Analysis

Sergio Aguero opened the scoring for the Sky Blues in the 20th minute with Phil Foden knocking a header into the path of the Argentinian, Aguero then able to connect with the ball and place it into the net past Villa keeper Orjan Nyland. Villa becoming the 7th team Sergio Aguero has managed to score 10 goals against.

Pep Guardiola’s side doubled their lead exactly ten minutes later, Rodri latching onto a Gundogan corner and heading the ball straight into the net.

Villa pulled a goal back in the 40th minute following on from John Stones losing his footing, Villa winger El-Ghazi capitalising to pick up the ball and eventually swing in a looping cross onto forward Mbwana Samata’s head, the Tanzanian sending the ball into the bottom left corner past Claudio Bravo. Samata becomes the first player to score a cup final goal against a Pep Guardiola side since Wayne Rooney in the 2011 Champions League Final.

Man City survived a late scare in the 87th minute from a corner with Bjorn Engels sending his header goal bound only to be stopped by a superb Bravo save, the Chilean goalkeeper turning the ball onto the post.

Man City celebrate 7th League Cup Final Win

Man City have now won their 7th League Cup trophy, only Liverpool have won more with eight in total. The Sky Blues also become the first club to win three successive League Cup trophies since Liverpool in 1981-84.

The trophy today makes Man City the 6th English Club to win 20+ major honours.