Manchester City Beats Aston Villa For Third Straight Carabao Cup

Manchester City on Sunday were not to be denied a third successive Carabao Cup triumph as the Citizens beat Aston Villa 2-1 in the final played at the Wembley Stadium.

The triumph is Pep Guardiola team’s 4th Carabao Cup success in 5 years after winning the competition 2016, 2018 and 2019 with 2017 being the only time the team failed to win in 5 years.

Even though the team may have conceded the English Premier League title to Liverpool, Pep Guardiola’s team is still in the race to complete a treble after beating Real Madrid 2-1 midweek in Spain in the first leg of their Round of 16 clash.

City will also face Sheffield Wednesday on the 4th of March in the FA Cup as they are also in contention.

The game started with a pointer that Manchester City was ready to dish out another rout in a replica of last May’s 6-0 thrashing of Watford in the FA Cup Final when Sergio Aguero struck very early.

The Argentine forward scored from a Phil Foden’s assist in the 20th minute, and ten minutes later, Rodri headed in from an Ilkay Goudogan’s cross.

However, just before Manchester City got comfortable, Aston Villa pulled one back 4 minutes before half time as Tanzanian forward Mbwana Samata headed in an Anwar El-Ghazi.

The second half was tighter as the relegation-threatened side looked to get back on level terms but City’s Chilean Goalkeeper, Claudio Bravo produced some excellent saves to deny Villa an equaliser.

It is the first time since 1981 to 1984 when Liverpool won the League Cup four times in a row that another team will replicate the feat, and both sides remain the only ones to do so.

The Reds are also the only team more successful than Manchester City in the competition with eight titles, one more than Manchester City.