A look back at our coverage from Wembley for the 2019/20 Carabao Cup final, where Manchester City retained the trophy.
FT SCORE: Aston Villa 1-2 Manchester City
20': Aguero
31': Rodri
41': Samatta
Manchester City successfully defended their Carabao Cup title after a 2-1 victory over Aston Villa in the final at Wembley.
FULL-TIME! Aston Villa 1-2 Manchester City
Pep Guardiola's side retain the Carabao Cup! They made hard work of it in the end but a deserving victory.
Villa players and staff gather in a huddle. Can they use this as a catalyst for survival?
Thanks for joining us for coverage - keep an eye on site for reaction from the managers and players as well as celebration footage.
90': VILLA CORNER
Nyland comes up and you want the goalkeeper to get a head on it. Unfortunately not, Walker clears but Villa go again.
90': CITY SEEING IT THROUGH
They know exactly what they are doing, Jesus and co running it into the corner.
89': NYLAND SAVES!
Villa have to go for it, leaving themselves open at the back and it is cut back to Bernardo Silva who drills it low from eight yards. It's powerful and Nyland gets a great foot to it. This contest is getting interesting. Five minutes added on.
87': VILLA ROAR
Grealish's cross is blocked, Villa have a corner and there's a huge roar from the crowd behind them. Hourihane takers, Engels meets it from six yards and what a save! Bravo pushes it onto the upright. So close for Villa there.
85': HIGH AND WIDE FROM STERLING
The England forward is not known for his long-rangers. That is why. Five plus stoppage time to go.
83': ANOTHER CITY SWITCH
Aguero off, Jesus on. The Argentinian does his best to take his time, limping off behind the goal.
82': CLOSE!
Big cheers from the City end as half of them think that effort's gone in. Bernardo makes an immediate impact, teeing it up for Aguero to volley into the side netting. Villa fans take joy from their opponents' false celebrations.
The attendance is 82,149 - good effort.
80': Ten to go
City on top but that third goal continues to elude them. Can Villa take it to extra time (or even win it)?! Stick with us to find out. We'll have all the reaction from the press conferences too.
Last throw of the dice as Keinan Davis replaces Samatta.
78': ACTION SHOT - NAKAMBA'S TACKLE
76': CITY SUB
Bernardo Silva - Tom Carnduff's booking tip - comes on for his namesake David. Come on son, get a booking please. For us.
74': GREAT SAVE!
Nyland was the hero in the semi-final and the goalkeeper pulls off a great save to deny Rodri who met the corner and headed low and on target. Spanish midfielder Rodri is just brilliant in the air, a real target man for set pieces.
More good work from City as they stay on top and De Bruyne shoots wide.
73': BIG TACKLE!
A full-blooded challenge by Nakamba was anything but Marvelous (his first name, if you did not know)...
He got the ball but Lee Mason gives Aguero the free-kick and the Villa man gets a booking. Villa fans aren't happy and the players from both sides aren't either, a bit of push and shove but nothing major.
69': VILLA SWITCH
They have got to go for it now. Elmohamady, who just received a cheap booking on the halfway, is replaced by Trezeguet. El Ghazi is replaced by Conor Hourihane. Positive moves.
68': LAST DITCH
Mings with a vital interception to stop City breaking through.
66': BETTER FROM VILLA
They are attacking their fans and being roared on - they sense a real chance - and Elmohamady's cross was just out of the reach of Samatta and El Ghazi in the box.
64': LATEST SKY BET PRICE BOOSTS
Kevin De Bruyne to score the 4th goal in 90mins - 10/1
Fernandinho to be carded in 90mins - 9/2
Mbwana Samatta to score a brace in 90mins - 14/1
Sergio Aguero to score a hatrick in 90mins - 14/1
Aston Villa to win on penalties - 66/1
59': SLICK CITY
Some good passing from City in the final third before being caught offside. The next goal really is vital.
Gundogan off, De Bruyne on.
De Bruyne's first involvement? To stand on the ball, fall over and allow Villa to counter. Very uncharacteristic of him. A collector's edition.
56': INCOMING
Guardiola gives De Bruyne a tap - it's time.
51': BETTER FROM VILLA
They have a bit of urgency about them and work it across the right to ElMohamady, whose cross goes just over the head of Samatta in the box. City attack and have a free-kick from around 25 yards on the right.
The set piece gets cleared to Foden on the edge of the box, who volleys it into the ground and just wide.
SECOND HALF!
Half-time pies done with - for us not the pros, of course - let's see what this second 45 brings. A Villa goal would certainly make things interesting...
HALF-TIME: Aston Villa 1-2 Manchester City
That brings an end to an eventful half, with Villa fans full of voice again after Ally Samatta pulled one back - which you can see below. Hopefully it sets us up for a thrilling second half.
'What's Samatta, Stones?' - Excellent work from colleague Tom Carnduff there.
41': GOAL! Aston Villa 1-2 Manchester City (SAMATTA)
Game on?!
A great header by January signing Ally Samatta as Villa capitalise on a mistake by Stones.
40': CITY CELEBRATIONS
38': GOAL REPLAY
36': NEARLY THREE
Last ditch defending now from Villa. Clinging on. Mings gets in the way of Sterling's goal-bound shot.
City scored six at Villa Park and they look on it here.
31': GOAL! Aston Villa 0-2 Manchester City (RODRI)
The resulting corner is taken by Gundogan, floating across the six-yard box and Rodri heads home. Too easy. Villa aren't happy as they feel the corner decision should have been a goal kick.
That was Rodri's fourth goal of the season and what a well-taken header.
31': FAB FODEN
Phil Foden looking classy again this afternoon. At just 19 years old in this City team it's frightening. A shame it is probably too late for him to make the Euro 2020 squad for England. Anyway, City have a corner...
29': ACTION SHOT
27': GOAL REPLAY
Sterling rifles one into the side-netting from 20 yards. All City at the minute after a promising start from Villa.
Anyway, here's the goal:
25': VILLA SILENCED
We are sat near the Villa fans here at Wembley and they started off so loud but that goal has unsurprisingly quietened them. They burst into song again but their voices are noticeably flatter. Foden looks dangerous and just shot across goal, his effort deflecting just past the post off Targett.
20': GOAL! Aston Villa 0-1 Man City (Aguero)
Pretends to be shocked. Rodri's cross to Foden at the far post was headed back across goal and Aguero's shot deflects off Mings and into the back of the net. The Argentinian's 22nd of the season. That ends a four-game 'drought'. Some star. City legend.
That's the first time Villa have gone behind in the Carabao Cup this term. Dean Smith is seen talking to John Terry and they have their work cut out now.
17': CITY AT WEMBLEY AGAIN
It is their 18th appearance at the new Wembley. Incredible - that's why the City pitch announcer cheekily called it the 'Etihad South' ahead of kick-off.
16': GUARDIOLA'S ORCHESTRATING
City have a throw near the touchline and the Spaniard is incredibly animated, gesturing with every move.
15': ACTION SHOT
13': DANGEROUS DAVID
Much better from Man City now. David Silva, who has a goal and three assists in his last three appearances v Villa, looks dangerous and after shrugging off a challenge and breaking into the box, his effort takes an unlucky ricochet and goes out for a goal kick.
10': CITY SETTLE
Gundogan crosses in a lovely ball from the right, a combination of Stones and Aguero go for the header and the resulting effort goes just over the bar. Better from the holders.
8': CITY COUNTER
Villa had possession in the final third but City launched that inevitable counter and Zinchenko's shot deflects wide. A warning for Dean Smith's side. They have got to be weary of that.
2': PROMISING START
The opening couple of minutes sees Villa start very well and City pegged back. An early corner comes to nothing but they stay on top and Anwar El Ghazi heads a good chance just over the bar.
Confidence boosting yes, but whether it gives them false hope and draws them in for City to counter is another thing...
1': KICK-OFF!
National anthem done and dusted and we are underway! Villa start promisingly (well, the opening minute or so).
UP FOR THE CUP!
Who says this competition does not matter? What an occasion, around 85,000 packed into the national stadium with silverware on the line. Teams in the tunnel at the moment, Jack Grealish and Dean Smith ready to lead out Villa. David Silva and Pep Guardiola for City.
ATMOSPHERE BUILDING
TALKING POINTS
After the high of Madrid, can Man City put in another top performance? Phil Foden gets his big chance in the team with Kevin De Bruyne on the bench along with, annoyingly, Bernardo Silva. We say annoyingly because Tom Carnduff tipped him to be carded. There's still hope though if he comes on as substitute.
30 MINUTES TO GO
Shaun Wright-Phillips is currently being interviewed on the field ahead of kick-off - cheers from one end and chants of 'who are ya' from the other. The warm-ups are well underway and it's nearly time!
CARABAO CUP: OPTA FACTS
- This will be the 60th League Cup final and the 57th different match-up of teams in the final – Aston Villa and Manchester City have met four times previously in the competition, with Villa winning three times and City once.
- Aston Villa are competing in their ninth League Cup final, with only Liverpool playing in more (12) - they have won the trophy five times, most recently in 1996 against Leeds United.
- Manchester City have won the League Cup six times, a tally surpassed only by Liverpool (eight). City have won the trophy in four of the last six seasons, including each of the last two; the only team to win it three years in a row are Liverpool, who won it in four consecutive years between 1981 and 1984.
- Man City have won seven of their last eight matches against Aston Villa in all competitions (D1), scoring 26 goals and conceding just three across those games.
- This will be the first ever meeting between Aston Villa and Man City at Wembley and only their second ever at a neutral venue, with Man City winning 6-1 at Leeds Road in Huddersfield in the 1933-34 FA Cup semi-final.
- Only one of the last 10 teams to lose the second leg of their League Cup semi-final but progress to the final have gone on to win the trophy, with Manchester United doing so in 2016-17 after losing against Hull City in their semi-final second leg before beating Southampton in the final.
- Manchester City have progressed or won the final of each of their last 18 domestic English cup ties (FA/League Cup), the longest run since Chelsea between October 2006 and February 2008 (also 18 in a row), whose run was ended by a League Cup final defeat against Spurs.
- Since Brian Little won the League Cup in 1996 with Aston Villa, an English manager has picked up the trophy in just one of the last 23 seasons, with Steve McClaren winning it with Middlesbrough in 2004.
- Aston Villa are the fourth newly-promoted Premier League side to reach a League Cup, and the first since Wigan Athletic in 2005-06, who lost 4-0 to Man Utd. The other two won the trophy – Leicester City in 1996-97 and Blackburn Rovers in 2001-02.
- Man City striker Sergio Agüero has scored nine goals in his last five starts against Aston Villa, all in the Premier League, including a hat-trick in a 6-1 win in January. The Argentine has scored five and assisted two more in nine appearances at Wembley for City, though he hasn’t scored or assisted in his last two games there.
- Aston Villa have had 12 different scorers (excluding own goals) in the League Cup this season, four more than any other side and five more than Man City. The last team to have more in a campaign was Bristol City in 2017-18 (14).
- Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling has been directly involved in nine goals in his last five appearances at Wembley for club and country, scoring seven goals and assisting two more.
- Aston Villa have scored 19 League Cup goals this season, with Manchester City the last team to score 20 in a season back in 2013-14 (22). The Villans last scored more in a campaign during 1985-86, scoring 25 times.
- This will be Man City manager Pep Guardiola 25th final as a top-flight manager, winning 20 of the previous 24, including all five with City (two Community Shields, two League Cups, one FA Cup). Four of his previous seven finals have gone to penalty shootouts (W3 L1).
- Aston Villa manager Dean Smith has managed in two previous Wembley finals, losing the Football League Trophy final in 2014-15 with Walsall against Bristol City but winning 2-1 in last season’s Championship play-off final with Villa against Derby.
TEAMS ARE IN
AKINFENWA'S THOUGHTS
Tom didn't want to ask him for a bench-off...
PETROV AND DICKOV ON THE CLASH
It's cold pitchside at Wembley, let us tell you...
GOOD AFTERNOON!
Welcome to our live blog from Wembley!
It is Carabao Cup final day - George Pitts and Tom Carnduff here to provide you with coverage before, during and after as Aston Villa look to upset the odds against holders Man City.
We have interviews with Adebayo Akinfenwa, Paul Dickov and Stiliyan Petrov to follow. Sit back and enjoy!
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