Johnny On The Spot:
#EMPHATIC. Pep Guardiola channelled his famed ruthlessness yet again into his record breaking Manchester City side for the club’s 11th League Cup semi-final with a storming dismissal of Burton Albion in a performance that immediately eases some pressure from a bulging fixture list. The goalfest represented City’s record League Cup win.
Initial City profligacy gave way to a 7 minute first half blitzkrieg that reduced a game, hard working Burton to paper kites in a wind tunnel. Nigel Clough’s men actually had a gilt-edged opportunity to make the game 1-1 at one stage but thereafter were hopelessly outclassed and mercilessly thrashed.
Following this crushing defeat one would expect Burton’s fans to not complain about City cunningly growing the grass too long the way Merseyslide’s entitled Liverpool supporters have done. It could well be that The Blues lung bursting victory over “The People’s Champions” last week could prove the catalyst for a rampant second half assault on City’s season such is the hunger and desire Pep’s side are displaying. Goals, goals, goals, no matter who they are scored against can give a team fabulous momentum and City’s double whamming of Rotherham and Burton has continued to construct a platform for more domestic success.
There were big plusses all over the park and off it for City. Resurgent Kevin de Bruyne who went straight down the tunnel on the hour mark, continued his rehabilitation and has now scored 9 goals and assisted 4 in 13 League Cup appearances for the club. Furthermore, Gabriel Jesus’ selfless season long hard work is finally reaping the rewards he thoroughly deserves. Up in the tribunes, what a treat this was for our next generation of Blues, the nippers all getting in for £5.
Meanwhile, a doffed flat cap to El Boss’s shrewd, but forced midwinter rotation of his squad which has seen an injury crisis gradually overcome. Benjamin Mendy is now the sole man out of action. He has begun training alone and will rejoin the group inside a fortnight. The Blues and especially flu struck Kun Aguero will now benefit from a weekend off before taking on Wolves in the bid to turn the heat up on Jurgen Klopp’s inexperienced title chasers. City are hunting in packs, fighting to get on to the pitch and taking no prisoners.
JB’s Man Of The Match: 17 year old Eric Garcia who once again looks to be a classy, calm operator in central defence.
The Etihad Stadium
League Cup Semi-Final
1/09/2019 7:45 pm
Attendance: 32,089
Referee: Mike Dean of the Wirral
| Manchester City | Burton Albion | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| De Bruyne (5'), Gabriel Jesus (30',34',57',67'), Zinchenko (37'), Foden (62'), Walker (70') , Mahrez (83') | |||||||
| 49 Aro Muric | 40 Bradley Collins | ||||||
| 2 Kyle Walker | Danilo 74' | 2 John Brayford | |||||
| 50 Eric Garcia | 3 Jake Buxton | ||||||
| 30 Nicolas Otamendi | 6 Ben Turner | ||||||
| 35 Oleks Zinchenko | 19 Reece Hutchinson | ||||||
| 17 Kevin De Bruyne | Foden 58' | 16 Marcus Harness | |||||
| 8 Ilkay Gündogan | 7 Scott Fraser | Sbarra 79' | |||||
| 21 David Silva | 22 Kieran Wallace | ||||||
| 26 Riyad Mahrez | 4 Jamie Allen | Fox 68' | |||||
| 33 Gabriel Jesus | 10 Lucas Akins | ||||||
| 19 Leroy Sané | Bernardo Silva 66' | 27 Liam Boyce | Templeton 68' | ||||
Substitutes |
|||||||
| 3 Danilo | 1 Stepen Bywater | ||||||
| 5 John Stones | 5 Kyle McFadzean | ||||||
| 7 Raheem Sterling | 9 Joe Sbarra | ||||||
| 18 Fabian Delph | 11 David Templeton | ||||||
| 20 Bernardo Silva | 12 Ben Fox | ||||||
| 31 Ederson | 14 Damien McCrory | ||||||
| 47 Philip Foden | 18 Will Miller | ||||||
Game Statistics |
||
| 27 | Goal attempts | 4 |
| 14 | On Target | 1 |
| 7 | Corners | 1 |
| 5 | Fouls | 6 |
| 0 | Yellow Cards | 0 |
| 0 | Red Cards | 0 |
| 74 | % | 26 |