Man City lift League Cup in style

February 27, 2018 00:00:00

Manchester City players celebrating with the trophy after winning the League Cup at Wembley stadium in north London on Sunday. — Online

LONDON, Feb 26 (AP): Manchester City completed part one of a possible treble Sunday, winning the League Cup final in style with a comprehensive 3-0 win over a defensively absent-minded Arsenal.

It was the first major English trophy for City manager Pep Guardiola in his second season at the helm. His counterpart, Arsene Wenger, has never won the League Cup since he had become Arsenal's manager in 1996, and the stinging defeat at Wembley Stadium puts his position at the club under further pressure.

City looked a completely different team from the start of the week, when the team crashed out of the FA Cup in a 1-0 loss to Wigan that ended its hopes for a quadruple. City still has a chance to win the Champions League and Premier League, where its lead at the top of the table was cut to 13 points after a 2-1 win by Manchester United over Chelsea.

Guardiola viewed the trophy as a springboard for future team success, rather than focusing on it as a personal achievement.

"It's important to win titles because maybe it will help us to win the next games in the Premier League, and win the league," he said. Coincidentally, City faces Arsenal next in the league on Thursday.

Sergio Aguero gave City the lead in the 18th minute against Arsenal after an atrocious defensive error from defender Shkodran Mustafi, who misjudged a direct long ball launched from goalkeeper Claudio Bravo and allowed Aguero a free run on goal. Aguero ambled forward in a one-on-one and lifted the ball over Arsenal goalkeeper David Ospina.

Mustafi claimed that Aguero had nudged him to win the ball, but television replays appeared to show there was little contact.

City captain Vincent Kompany doubled the scoreline when he diverted a shot from Ilkay Gundogan into the bottom corner in the 58th.

Arsenal supporters started heading for the exits after Silva's goal with shouts of "Wenger Out" and ironically chanting "There's only one Arsene Wenger."

It was a far cry from Wenger's honeymoon period in English football, when he won the league three times, including with "The Invincibles" side in 2003-04, the last time Arsenal lifted the Premier League title.