They may be slipping behind in the Premier League, but Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City are still on course for a potential League Cup, FA Cup and Champions League treble winning season.
Sunday’s League Cup final at Wembley saw Manchester City and Aston Villa go head to head. City, looking to clinch their third successive league cup trophy and continue their domestic cup competition dominance, had to see off a pesky Aston Villa side who are currently flirting with relegation spaces at the bottom of the table.
Goals from Sergio Aguero and defensive midfielder Rodri saw City take a comfortable two goal lead approaching half time but Aston Villa’s Mbwana Samatta managed to put away a strong header just before the break to make the second half a more cagey affair as the side from Birmingham searched for an equaliser.
Pep has dominated this competition ever since he arrived on English soil. Domestically, no team comes close. Of the last nine domestic competitions they have played in, they have won eight.
Whilst City were able to secure the entire domestic treble of League, League Cup and FA Cup last season, their lack of form in the Premier League this year has seen them fall 22 points behind leaders Liverpool who have only just lost their first game of the season and the announcement that they will be receiving a two year ban from UEFA competitions following financial fair play irregularities involving sponsorship, means they are certainly doing everything they can to get their hands on every available trophy this year.
The final at Wembley was over in 90 minutes but Aston Villa very nearly took the game to extra time with a Bjorn Engels header that Claudio Bravo brilliantly tipped onto the woodwork.
The signs were there on the hallowed pitch of Wembley that Aston Villa should be able to avoid their relegation scare and secure themselves a place in the Premier League for next season, however.