It was Manchester City’s second League Cup triumph in three years and could act as a springboard as it did in the season before last for a successful challenge for the English Premier League title.
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Victorious City manager Pellegrini added: I think we deserved to win the game, we missed too many chances, played better than Liverpool’.
Jurgen Klopp revealed after his side’s skittish 1-0 win over Augsburg in the Europa League that his team have no fresh injury concerns ahead of the cup final.
‘It’s wonderful, to win this cup, for me it’s incredible, ‘ said a tearful Caballero on Sky Sports.
Last Sunday, Pellegrini named a weakened side against Chelsea in the FA Cup – losing 5-1 – with a midweek Champions League game against Dynamo Kiev in mind.
At the end of the day, these players want to do it for themselves and for City, so I’m going with a big win.
For Klopp, who was appointed as Liverpool boss in October, it is a chance to do something that Brendan Rodgers failed to do during his time at Anfield: win a trophy.
City’s previous success in 2014 was followed up by a Premier League crown and that trophy remains up for grabs this season, along with the Champions League.
– In cup competition, Liverpool are unbeaten in their last eight against Manchester City (W6 D2), last being defeated by them in an FA Cup fourth-round replay in 1973.
There was cause for concern for Liverpool early on when Emre Can and Mamadou Sakho clashed heads which led to the latter being replaced by Kolo Toure, much to the Frenchman’s displeasure as he angrily threw a water bottle at the bench before breaking down into tears.
It’s the realisation of a dream for the long-serving Brazilian midfielder who has never played at Wembley before. Right player, big money, I don’t care.
Meanwhile, rising Manchester City star Kelechi Iheanacho is determined to repay Manuel Pellegrini for giving him his chance this season. With City nine points below league leaders Leicester City, albeit with a game in hand, French left-back Gael Clichy knows that Sunday’s game represents a golden opportunity to give Pellegrini a fitting send-off.
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Fabian Delph, Kevin de Bruyne and Samir Nasri are all long-term absentees. “I think for this game he will be exactly the same”. You can be sure we will have a plan but it is not allowed to go with exactly the same plan in a completely different game. “It is a very good experience and I fit in that role playing alongside him”.
