Manchester City Wins Capital One Cup With Goal keepr No.2

CABALLERO THE UNLIKELY HERO AS MANCHESTER CITY WIN LEAGUE CUP THE HARD WAY

By Sam Lee Of goal.com

Many expected the Argentine goalkeeper to cost the Blues at Wembley but he pulled off three superb saves in the penalty shoot-out to win the fifth trophy of the Mansour era

In a season in which so many things have gone wrong for Manchester City on so many occasions, this was an afternoon where pretty much everything went right. Even sticking with the maligned Willy Caballero in goal.

Manuel Pellegrini made all the changes demanded of him by increasingly frustrated City supporters - but still stuck to his guns by keeping Caballero in goal - and he has been vindicated for the second time in a week and has won the third trophy of his time at the club.

The Chilean has been increasingly under pressure as a result of several heavy defeats in big matches already this season, but his men were pitch perfect here against Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool and victory was deserved, even if it came via a penalty shoot-out where second-choice Caballero pulled out a string of magnificent saves.




It had been Liverpool, in one of Klopp's first matches in charge, who dished out one of those thrashings to City earlier in the campaign. With Pellegrini resting Fernandinho and Nicolas Otamendi - for which he was criticised - and shorn of Vincent Kompany, the German's high-tempo pressing machine wreaked havoc and a 4-1 victory was secured with ease.

But it was all change here in north London. Perhaps as a result of that November meeting and further big defeats against Stoke City, Leicester City, and Tottenham twice, Pellegrini deployed a much more sensible, solid line-up, which has reaped the rewards in Europe, and - eventually - it paid dividends yet again.

So many times City's midfield has been porous, with Yaya Toure played in a central two and the defence exposed, but four days after securing a 3-1 victory in Kiev, the Blues were masterful in the centre of the pitch.

Whereas Liverpool swarmed all over them in the league meeting, Coutinho and Firmino had no room in which to work at Wembley. The defence were protected and looked assured as a result, with Vincent Kompany awarded man of the match. Sergio Aguero often ploughed a lone furrow up front but battled for every ball and, but for Simon Mignolet's fine saves, would have wrapped up the match long before penalties.

Raheem Sterling also had a gilt-edged chance to put the game beyond Liverpool's reach but steered his effort wide with the goal gaping. He missed another shortly afterwards, while Aguero was denied what looked a clear penalty.

When Coutinho fired in a late equaliser with the Reds' first shot on target - after 83 minutes - it seemed a cruel defeat could be on the cards. So often these matches hinge on those kind of moments.


Excellent all round and thoroughly deserved for City

Posted by Sam Lee on Sunday, 28 February 2016

But to City's credit they kept going and bossed extra time, too. Pellegrini, often criticised for his substitutions, brought on Pablo Zabaleta and Jesus Navas for time added on as he tried to kill Liverpool down the right-hand side. They made their mark, Yaya Toure kept up his finest display of the season by a mile, and David Silva and Aguero kept probing, but they could not avert a penalty shoot-out.

If a cruel defeat seemed possible in normal time, the more pessimistic of Blues would have been on their way out of the stadium when Emre Can chipped his first penalty down the middle and Fernandinho, excellent across 120 minutes, crashed his reply against the post.

But the tide turned. Caballero, lambasted by many City fans throughout the week and when his name was listed on the team sheet this afternoon, made the first of his three fine saves. Jesus Navas - who blasted the ball high into the stands after hitting the net - Aguero and Toure kept their nerve after seeing their goalkeeper putting in a seemingly unbeatable performance, and the cup was won.

So many expected the Argentine to be the cause of City's problems today, but he proved to be the main man. Having played each of City's domestic cup games in the last 18 months, he said in the build-up that he did not care what negative fans thought. He was vindicated here, alongside his loyal manager.

As City fans celebrated their fifth trophy of the Sheikh Mansour era, they could not resist a dig at their local rivals. There was a new song to adorn their latest success, an ode to an unlikely hero: "You signed Romero, we signed Caballero