Johnny On The Spot: This was a thoroughly useful if highly profligate work-out for the Manchester City squad. The League Cup tie was ideally timed for the defending cup holders amid a favourable run of domestic fixtures that have offered up a terrific opportunity to further bed everyone in before the Blues head up the East Lancs Road to face media darlings Liverpool next month and the scene of the champions coach attack earlier this year. City had the most players of any club worldwide at the World Cup and this fact made for a less than ideal yet youthful pre-season. However, the benefits were there for all to see at Oxford where a raft of City teenagers enjoyed themselves flitting and darting about with consummate ease. The sight of 17 year old Adrian Bernabe taking the field late on followed by the Stockport Iniesta’s first City goal was wonderful to see. Oleks Zinchenko was outstanding and my Man of the Match.
A double figures reverse would not have flattered Oxford but once again the heartening sight for Planet Blue was to see how no matter who the personnel selected are, The Blues modus operandi under Pep Guardiola’s leadership will remain the same. The City Way.
The Kassam Stadium
Carabao EFL Cup 3rd Round
25/09/2018 7:45 pm
Attendance: 11956
Referee: Roger East of Wiltshire
| Oxford United | Manchester City | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gabriel Jesus (36'), Mahrez (78'), Foden (90'+2) | |||||||
| 41 Jonathan Mitchell | 49 Aro Muric | ||||||
| 23 Sam Long | 4 Vincent Kompany | ||||||
| 5 Curtis Nelson | 30 Nicolas Otamendi | ||||||
| 4 Rob Dickie | 5 John Stones | ||||||
| 3 Luke Garbutt | 3 Danilo | ||||||
| 8 Cameron Brannagan | Ruffels 55' | 47 Philip Foden | |||||
| 26 Shandon Baptiste | 21 David Silva | Gündogan 63' | |||||
| 16 Gavin Whyte | 35 Oleksander Zinchenko | ||||||
| 6 Jamie Hanson | Henry 67' | 26 Riyad Mahrez | Bernabe 85' | ||||
| 12 Josh Holmes | Smith 77' | 33 Gabriel Jesus | |||||
| 20 Jonathan Obika | 55 Brahim Diaz | Sterling 55' | |||||
Substitutes |
|||||||
| 9 Sam Smith | 2 Kyle Walker | ||||||
| 13 Scott Shearer | 7 Raheem Sterling | ||||||
| 14 Josh Ruffels | 8 Ilkay Gündogan | ||||||
| 15 John Mousinho | 14 Aymeric Laporte | ||||||
| 17 James Henry | 19 Leroy Sané | ||||||
| 22 Charlie Raglan | 31 Ederson | ||||||
| 29 Tony McMahon | 82 Adrian Bernabe | ||||||
Game Statistics |
||
| 1 | Goal attempts | 28 |
| 0 | On Target | 7 |
| 1 | Corners | 11 |
| 12 | Fouls | 8 |
| 2 | Yellow Cards | 1 |
| 0 | Red Cards | 0 |
| 30 | % | 70 |