Manchester City beat Liverpool 3-1 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the League Cup final at Wembley on Sunday. “We know how they want to play, they’ll have the majority of possession, but if Liverpool can spring on them like they did last time then they can have some joy”.
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Raheem Sterling, loudly booed by Liverpool fans throughout, could have killed off his old club on the hour but steered a shot wide with the goal gaping.
Liverpool started the game brightly, Alberto Moreno’s cross-shot forcing Willy Caballero into action inside the first minute, and Coutinho nearly putting Nathaniel Clyne clean through on goal soon after.
Strangely, the Capital One Cup will be a South American-flavoured final at Wembley.
Even if the trophy remains the lowest of City’s priorities, it is perhaps their best chance of success in a season that has recently spluttered.
The first major trophy of the season is up for grabs at Wembley this afternoon and all signs points to a mouthwatering clash between north west rivals Liverpool and Manchester City. Of course, the change could have been tactical on Klopp’s part, or down to fatigue in the player, and Škrtel or Lovren could join Sakho in the back. The team now sits in the eighth place and the only real trophy within their reach is the Capital One Cup.
Liverpool hit back with less than ten minutes of the game remaining when Philippe Coutinho finally gave the travelling Reds something to cheer.
Mignolet made a string of important saves to keep the Reds in the game, with Caballero saving Divock Origi’s late header to ensure it went to the lottery.
Aguero had the first clear chance in extra time when he was denied by a reflex save from Mignolet.
Liverpool are record eight-times winners of the League Cup, but have gone four years without a major trophy since their victory over Cardiff City in 2012 in the same competition. City also looks set to make the quarterfinals of the Champions League after beating Dynamo Kiev.
Consequently, the game went to penalties and despite Fernandinho missing the first one, Caballero saved penalties from Lucas, Coutinho and Lallana before Yaya Toure struck the winning penalty to win the League Cup for Manchester City.
Where City once turned to the FA Cup to spark their long-awaited renaissance, it has now been denigrated to a mere afterthought.
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Daniel Sturridge’s teasing cross found Lallana at the far post and the substitute struck his close-range attempt against the post, but Coutinho made no mistake, smashing the rebound past Caballero.
