Manchester City made it to the final of the EFL Cup as they overcame their local rivals Manchester United. This is their fourth consecutive final in the competition and it was deemed as an impressive achievement by manager Pep Guardiola, per Sky Sports via Goal.
Despite United putting out a strong team, City were able to deal with any danger that came their way. Goals from John Stones and Fernandinho were enough to secure the win and send them to the final where Tottenham Hotspur will be waiting for them.
The Manchester side have had an inconsistent start to the season, but have recently turned things around in the last month or so. Guardiola spoke about the mentality in the club and praised the incredible effort of reaching the final four times on the trot.
Speaking on the win, the Spaniard told Sky Sports via Goal:
“When a team has the mentality to do it, we achieve something incredible. I know the Carabao Cup is not the Champions League but reaching the final four times in a row is incredible! I’m so impressed for the quality of this team.
“It’s about the consistency. We didn’t have a proper pre-season and that’s why we need a little bit of time but I think we are already there”
If City did go on to win this competition for a fourth time, that would be some special record for the Spaniard. It is one competition that he has won in almost every season that he’s been in England and he will surely be looking forward to a fourth trophy.
What was most impressive about the win was that City fielded an unusual starting XI but managed to best United anyway.
It was unlike any formation that they had employed this season but somehow, they made it work. Each player knew what their role was and that helped them construct attacks that caused United to get flustered.
Manchester City can now relax and look forward to the FA Cup where they will be hosting Birmingham City on Sunday. With one competition taken care of, they will now want to turn their attention towards the other domestic cup competition.
If City were to play anywhere near the level they showed today, they will be winning comfortably.