League Cup: Man City, Liverpool ease through; Everton out
Manchester City’s players fell behind during a game in the English League Cup for the first time in almost four years on Tuesday, as they attempted to win the tournament for the fifth consecutive season.
They quickly rectified the situation.
After surrendering an early goal against third-tier Wycombe Wanderers at home in the 22nd minute, City replied by scoring three times before halftime and cruising to a 6-1 victory.
Kevin De Bruyne was one of City’s scores as he continues to regain match fitness after injury.
Pep Guardiola’s side hasn’t lost in the League Cup since October 2016 and hasn’t trailed in the playoffs since the first leg in January 2018.
Liverpool, like City, utilized the tournament to give peripheral players starts and senior debuts to a number of talented teenagers,
including a 16-year-old in Kaide Gordon, and they won 3-0 against fellow Premier League side Norwich.
Takumi Minamino of Japan began and completed the scoring.
Liverpool and City have a record eight League Cup triumphs between them. Six of City’s came in the previous eight seasons.
Everton was one of three Premier League clubs to be forced into a penalty shootout against lower-league opponents, losing 8-7 to Queens Park Rangers after a 2-2 draw in 90 minutes.
Southampton and Leeds both beat clubs from last season’s Premier League – Sheffield United and Fulham, respectively.
Burnley strolled through another third-tier opponent, Rochdale, 4-1, while Brentford hammered Oldham 7-0.
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MATCH AND MIX
CJ Egan-Riley, Luke Mbete, Finley Burns, and Josh Wilson-Esbrand, all academy graduates, were given their first senior starts in front of American goalkeeper Zack Steffen,
who was making his first appearance after recuperating from the coronavirus?
Fortunately for Guardiola, he had a fantastic offensive cast at his disposal,
and he needed them to produce when Brandon Hanlan put Wycombe ahead in front of a shocked Etihad Stadium crowd.
Within seven minutes, De Bruyne had equalized, then Riyad Mahrez (2), Phil Foden, Ferran Torres, and teenage replacement Cole Palmer all scored.
MINAMINO GLOWS
After being an unused replacement in four matches this season,
Minamino made his debut outing for Liverpool and made an immediate impression.
He grabbed onto a header down from Divock Origi at a corner and swiveled to fire between the goalkeeper’s legs after just three minutes at Carrow Road.
Caoimhin Kelleher, Liverpool’s backup goalkeeper,
saved a penalty before Origi headed in the second goal and Minamino added a third from close range.
Liverpool’s undefeated streak in all competitions versus Norwich now stands at 16 games. In the Premier League’s first round, the score was similarly 3-0 between the two clubs.
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