Willy Caballero saved three penalties as Manchester City claimed the Capital One Cup with a 3-1 shoot-out victory over Liverpool following a 1-1 draw at Wembley.
By Gerard Brand at Wembley
Lucas Leiva, Philippe Coutinho and Adam Lallana were all denied by City’s No 2 goalkeeper, leaving Yaya Toure to wrap up the win with his spot-kick.
Fernandinho gave City the lead in the 49th minute after his shot from an angle inside the area found its way under Simon Mignolet, who will feel he should have done better.
Former Liverpool man Raheem Sterling had two clear opportunities to double City’s lead, but on both occasions struck just wide in space in the penalty area.
Liverpool equalised through Coutinho in the 83rd minute, the Brazilian converting in the penalty area after Lallana had hit the post and forcing the game into extra-time and then penalties.
The win gives Manuel Pellegrini his third major trophy in as many seasons at City, three months before he is replaced by Pep Guardiola.
City players celebrate after Yaya Toure slotted home the winning penalty
Jurgen Klopp kept faith with the same XI that beat Augsburg 1-0 in the Europa League on Thursday, while Pellegrini made just one change, replacing Joe Hart with cup goalkeeper Caballero.
After an even opening quarter lacking in clear-cut opportunities, the first big chance fell to 2014 winners City in the 24th minute.
David Silva’s splitting through ball found Sergio Aguero, but after the Argentine cut inside past the slipping Mamadou Sakho, Mignolet did superbly to get down to his left to tip his low effort from 12 yards onto the post.
Sakho, who had just minutes before clashed heads with Emre Can in midfield, was taken off for the injury, replaced by former City defender Kolo Toure.
Toure himself was inches away from giving Liverpool the lead just after half an hour but failed to get on the end of Coutinho’s cross-shot at the far post, meaning Klopp’s side went into half-time without registering a shot on target for the first time in 87 games.
City went ahead just four minutes after the restart through Fernandinho, the Brazilian’s shot from an acute angle 15 yards out to the right creeping into the bottom left corner under Mignolet.
Liverpool were nearly level just moments later after some fine interplay in the final third between Daniel Sturridge and Jordan Henderson, but James Milner could only slice the ball wide from six yards as Caballero came rushing out.
The game had come to life in the opening stages of the second period, and City should have been further ahead through former Liverpool midfielder Sterling, who moved to the Etihad from Anfield in the summer for £49m and was widely jeered by the Reds fans at Wembley.
Toure found Silva in the final third with Liverpool struggling to get back, but having found Sterling in clear space eight yards out, the England international poked the ball wide with only Mignolet to beat.
City felt they should have had a penalty just minutes later after Aguero looked to have been caught by Alberto Moreno’s trailing leg, but referee Michael Oliver waved play on.
Sterling again came within inches of scoring City’s second with 10 minutes remaining, but sliced the ball just wide of Mignolet’s right-hand post from 12 yards after Aguero’s cut back.
But Liverpool equalised with their first shot on target through Coutinho, who guided the ball into the net from 12 yards after substitute Lallana had hit the woodwork at the far post.
City nearly regained their lead three minutes later through Fernando, but on this occasion Mignolet was equal to the effort, beating the ball clear after the Brazilian had poked the ball goalwards from six yards.
The Belgian was again at his best to deny Toure inside the area in the dying moments, meaning the final went to extra-time for a fourth time in nine years.
Aguero came close late on in the first half of extra time, but Mignolet made a third superb save to redeem himself for his early error, getting a touch on the striker’s effort after being put through on goal.
Philippe Coutinho wheels away in celebration after equalising for Liverpool
As the game opened up in the second period, Mignolet’s opposite number Caballero did superbly to push away Divock Origi’s point-blank header from Milner’s chip to the back post.
Milner was then let off at the other end after Aguero read his back pass, but the City man’s first-time volley ended up over the crossbar.
City pushed late on, but the game eventually went to penalties, with Can converting Liverpool’s first with a deft, Panenka spot-kick.
Willy Caballero saves Coutinho’s penalty, his second of three in the shoot-out
Fernandinho then struck his effort from 12 yards against the left-hand post, before Caballero superbly saved to his left from Lucas.
Jesus Navas made it 1-1, Coutinho saw his penalty saved again by Caballero, and Aguero finally squeezed the ball into the back of the net to make it 2-1 to City.
Caballero was the hero again, saving superbly to his right from Lallana, and Toure won the shoot-out for City by slotting into the bottom left corner past Mignolet.
Source:SkySports
