Fernandinho holds the Carabao Cup aloft for Manchester City after beating Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley.Credit:Getty Images
But City finally made the breakthrough in the 82nd minute from an unlikely source as defender Laporte met Kevin de Bruyne’s free kick and headed past goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.
A combination of Lloris,last-ditch defending and some poor City finishing had kept the crowd on tenterhooks,but in the end Pep Guardiola’s side got their reward and claimed the Carabao Cup.
They have now matched Liverpool’s feat of winning the competition for four seasons in a row,and also join Liverpool with the most League Cup wins on eight.
Manchester City’s Phil Foden reaches for the ball.Credit:AP
Tottenham,who had rookie manager Ryan Mason on the touchlineafter Jose Mourinho’s sacking last week,are still waiting for their first trophy since 2008.
Defending the title completed the first part of a potential treble for Guardiola’s Premier League leaders with an upcoming Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain also on the agenda.
The game was played in front of 7773 fans at Wembley – the most allowed at an outdoor sporting event in the UK since the coronavirus pandemic started in March 2020.