Citizens beat Blues on Penalties
Written By: Robert Halter
Manchester City were aiming for back to back Carabao Cup Final victories as they faced Chelsea at Wembley stadium on Sunday, February 24. Straight from kick off, Sergio Aguero was clattered into from Jorginho. In the twenty second minute from Bernardo Silva’s delivery, the ball was riffled over by Aguero. On twenty eight minutes, Kevin De Bruyne combined with David Silva, before Aguero’s low drive was smothered by Kepa Arrizabalaga. In the thirty ninth minute, from Fernandinho’s pass across, a delivery by Oleksandr Zinchenko, was clasped upon from Arrizabalaga. On fourth three minutes, Nicolas Otamendi slid the ball into Arrizabalaga, through an assist by Zinchenko. Just before the break, Bernardo Silva pushed over Eden Hazard, and from Willian’s free kick, Otamendi was close to heading the ball into his own net, as the ball went narrowly past the left post. Before the re-start, Vincent Kompany replaced the injured Aymeric Laporte. On forty seven minutes, De Bruyne’s cross just avoided the head of Aguero, and as Raheem Sterling played the ball back in, from a miss placed header by David Luiz, the ball was blazed over from Fernandinho. Then from another De Bruyne high delivery, Arrizabalaga pushed away the ball past Augero. In the fifty second minute, through an incisive pass by Emerson, after taking too much time over the ball, Hazard was intercepted by Otamendi. On fifty six minutes, after Otamendi’s snap shot, Aguero’s goal was ruled out for offside. Following a booking on Fernandino for treading on Ross Barkley, a free kick by Luiz was hammered high over to the right, in the fifty ninth minute. In the sixty sixth minute, Willian’s punt forward found Hazard, who pulled the ball back for N’Golo Kante, whose strike was fired narrowly over the upright. On seventy one minutes, Pedro put the ball out wide to Willian, whose pass was then bent wide by Barkley, past the top right corner. Antonio Rudiger got a yellow card for bringing down David Silva but De Bruyne’s free kick rose over the top, in the seventy third minute. Three minutes later, Hazard found Pedro on the right, who pulled the ball back, before it was turned out of play from Zinchenko. The Citizens soon took off David Silva for Ilkay Gundogan while the Blues replaced Pedro with Callum Hudson-Odoi and soon afterwards City switched De Bruyne with Leroy Sane while Chelsea later brought on Ruben Loftus-Cheek for Barkley. The next card went to Otamendi for hacking down Hazard, and Willian’s free kick on the left had to be tipped over by Ederson, in stoppage time. Before extra time, the Citizens made an enforced change of Danilo for the injured Fernandinho. The Blues also soon favoured Gonzalo Higuain for Willian. In the ninety eighth minute, Luiz played in Hazard, before Ederson smothered the ball. On one hundred and one minutes, from Kante’s lay off, the ball was curled past the left post from Jorginho. In the hundred and tenth minute, Sterling’s cross was met by Aguero, and as Arrizabalaga pushed the ball out with his hand, Kante’s miss placed clearance was struck back in by Danilo, before the ball cannoned over off Cesar Azpilicueta. In the hundred and sixteenth minute, Gundogan set Sane free, whose ball was driven in by Aguero, before Arrizabalaga made the save at the bottom right corner, and after requiring treatment he was asked to come off for Willy Caballero but argued his case and stayed on, to the anger of manager Maurizio Sarri, as the match went to penalties. Jorginho penalty saved by Emerson, Gundogdan scores in the bottom left corner, Azpilicueta scores in the top right corner, Aguero scores in the bottom right corner, Emerson scores in the bottom right corner, Sane penalty saved by Arrizabalaga, Luiz hits the right post, Silva scores in the centre of the goal, Hazard scores high into the centre of the net, Sterling scores in the top left corner as Man City beat Chelsea 4-3 on penalties.