Good evening! Thank you very much for joining
Sports Mole for tonight's
EFL Cup semi-final second leg between
Bristol City and
Manchester City at Ashton Gate!
This contest looks like a mismatch on paper, but it was far from that in the first leg a fortnight ago and Championship side Bristol City will have gained belief from their performance in that narrow defeat. Man City are still the dominant force in English football, though, so it would take a monumental upset for them to miss out on a place in the final this evening.
We will have a closer look at both clubs in a short while, but first let's check out the team news from the West Country...
MAN CITY STARTING XI: Bravo; Walker, Stones, Otamendi, Zinchenko; Fernandinho, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Silva, Sane; Aguero
MAN CITY SUBS: Ederson, Danilo, Kompany, Sterling, Gundogan, Mangala, Yaya Toure
The hosts are being a little tardy with their own team news, so let's start with a look at visitors Manchester City, and as you can see it is a very strong lineup named by manager
Pep Guardiola tonight.
Guardiola suggested that he might make changes for this match, but with an FA Cup tie with Cardiff City next up at the weekend he can perhaps afford to prioritise this match more than he would do if it was a Premier League game coming up.
Indeed, there are only two changes made to the team which beat Newcastle so comfortably in the Premier League at the weekend, with cup goalkeeper Claudio Bravo returning between the sticks and Raheem Sterling being dropped to the bench.
Bernardo Silva is the man to come in for Sterling, but aside from those two changes it is near enough a full-strength lineup of those available for Man City. There are five changes from the first leg alone, with Danilo, Mangala, Toure, Gundogan and Sterling missing out.
Perhaps the most notable inclusion is that of
Sergio Aguero, who scored a hat-trick at the weekend and also came off the bench to score the late winner against Bristol City in the first leg a fortnight ago.
Chances to rest Aguero have been few and far between in recent weeks due to the injury to Gabriel Jesus, but his inclusion suggests that Guardiola is not willing to take any chances tonight. With De Bruyne, David Silva and Leroy Sane also included, it is a formidable strike force for the visitors tonight.
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Elsewhere, Zinchenko retains his place at left-back having made his first Premier League start at the weekend in an unchanged back four from that win over Newcastle, with Walker, Stones and Otamendi also starting tonight.
Notably there is the inclusion of Vincent Kompany on the bench as he continues his latest comeback from a calf injury, but Guardiola has stuck with what - at least in the absence of Mendy and Delph - looks to be his first-choice back four at the moment.
BRISTOL CITY STARTING XI: Steele; Smith, Flint, Wright, Magnusson; Brownhill, Pack, Walsh, Bryan; Paterson; Reid
BRISTOL CITY SUBS: Wollocott, Baker, Diedhiou, Taylor, Engvall, Eliasson, Kent
Bristol City's team sheet has finally been released, and the big news as far as the hosts are concerned is the exclusion of two key players - Frank Fielding and Nathan Baker.
Both were forced off during the draw with Derby County on Friday night - Fielding with a groin injury and Baker with an ankle problem - and neither have recovered in time to start this match. Baker is included amongst the subs, though.
Luke Steele and Liam Walsh are the two players who come into the side in place of the injured pair, which will also force a reshuffle to the shape of the team.
According to the official team sheet released by Bristol City, Korey Smith - the hero against Manchester United with his late winner here 34 days ago - will fill in at right-back with Wright moving into the middle to cover for Baker.
Those are the only two changes made by
Lee Johnson from the Friday draw with Derby - and indeed to his starting XI from the first leg a fortnight ago - so he is able to largely stick with what he deems as his first-choice side now.
Bobby Reid will lead the line and been Bristol's main goal threat having scored against Man City at the Etihad two weeks ago, winning and tucking home the penalty which gave his side the lead just before half time.
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The giant
Aden Flint did a good job of coping with the pace of Man City's attack at the Etihad Stadium and will be hoping to do the same again tonight, even without Baker alongside him.
Nine of these players featured against Man City in the first leg and also in the famous win over Manchester United here last month, so at the very least they will know what to expect tonight.
That may not make things much easier for the hosts, though, and despite their valiant effort at the Etihad Stadium two weeks ago there is no doubt that Bristol City still come into this match as major underdogs.
Everything, from the formbook to the football pyramid and experience between the players and between the clubs suggests a Man City win tonight, but that was also the case against Manchester United last month so Bristol City will be full of belief.
Manager
Lee Johnson said that a win tonight would be one of the biggest results in the club's history, and it is hard to argue with that statement. Not only would they claim the scalp of the best team in England right now - arguably one of the best in Europe too - but it would also see the club through to a major cup final.
It has been a whopping 109 years since Bristol City last reached the final of a major competition - doing so in the 1909 FA Cup - so the achievement of them doing so tonight could not be overstated.
The way The Robins have done it has been every bit as spectacular too, with Bristol City having already eliminated four Premier League teams on their way to this stage - including that famous win over Manchester United.
Watford, Stoke City and Crystal Palace have also fallen at the hands of Lee Johnson's giant killers, and the only other lower-league team to knock out so many top-flight clubs in this competition were Sheffield Wednesday in 1990-91. The Owls went on to lift the trophy that year, becoming the last lower-league team to do so.
That omen will be encouraging for the hosts tonight, then, but the vast majority of them still point to Manchester City completing the job.
No second-tier team, has reached the final of this competition since Cardiff City in 2011-12, when they were beaten on penalties by Liverpool in the final, while a Championship side has not overturned a first-leg semi-final deficit against Premier League opposition since Birmingham City did it to Ipswich Town in 2000-01. The Blues also went on to lose to Liverpool in the final on that occasion.
Neither of those stats will have a direct influence on tonight's match, of course, but they do go to show the size of the task in front of Bristol City here. That only grows bigger considering the The Robins' recent form too.
Lee Johnson's side have perhaps taken their eye off the ball elsewhere to focus on this semi-final as they come into tonight's match winless in their last six games across all competitions. Draw or defeat tonight would make it seven on the bounce for the first time since March 2017.
Indeed, Bristol City were on a five-match losing streak until they recorded a goalless draw against fellow promotion hopefuls Derby County on Friday night - a result which also means that they have now failed to score in four of their last five games in all competitions.
Despite such poor form - one win from the last 12 on offer in league games - Bristol City remain in the Championship playoff places, although they are now only three points clear of seventh while falling five adrift of the automatic promotion places.
Bristol City's recent run includes back-to-back home defeats heading into this match, and four of their six Championship defeats all season have come here at Ashton Gate, with Lee Johnson's side picking up as many points on the road as they have in front of their own fans.
That said, The Robins have been a different animal at home in the EFL Cup this season, winning all four such games while scoring 13 goals and conceding just two in the process.
Of course, Manchester City have been pretty formidable themselves both home and away, although there are one of two signs that their form in the latter is starting to slip somewhat.
Of their last seven away games across all competitions Man City have won three, drawn two and lost two inside normal time, which is by no means a terrible record but is certainly a dip from their run of 10 consecutive away wins to start the season.
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Some of the wins in that run have not been entirely convincing either. Guardiola's side only managed a narrow 1-0 triumph over Newcastle last month and needed penalties to get past Leicester before that.
Their last two away games have yielded only one point too - and it could have been worse had Crystal Palace scored a late penalty in their 0-0 draw. The most recent away game was, of course, their thrilling 4-3 defeat at the hands of Liverpool last weekend.
It is a definite dip in form from Man City, then, but to be honest any criticism of their current performances is nit-picking to a certain extent as they are still in sensational shape on the whole.
Away from home Guardiola's side still boast by far the best record in the Premier League, and in the EFL Cup alone they have won nine and lost just two of their last 12 outings on the road. That includes victories over two Premier League teams - West Brom and Leicester - in this season's competition too.
Indeed, across all competitions Man City have won a phenomenal 35 of their last 39 games across all competitions, losing just twice in that run which includes the tail end of last season too.
Both of those defeats have come away from home, incidentally, but Man City have answered any questions asked of them on both occasions - most recently with the 3-1 win over Newcastle following their first domestic defeat of the season at the hands of Liverpool earlier this month.
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Man City have swept away the vast majority of the teams who have come before them this season, but in this competition they have been comparatively unconvincing despite making it all the way to the semi-final.
It seems strange to say for a team which has won all four of their EFL Cup games so far this term, but those victories have not been in the style we have come to expect from the free-scoring Man City this season.
Indeed, they needed a late goal to beat West Brom first up, penalties to get past Wolves and Leicester in the next two rounds and then a stoppage-time winner against Bristol City. Hope, perhaps, for Bristol that they take their eye off the ball a little more in this competition.
Guardiola's team selection suggests that will not be the case tonight, though, and considering this is a good chance for both his first trophy as City boss and the first leg of any potential quadruple this season, you'd expect Man City to give it everything tonight.
city have a good recent record in this competition too, winning it four times overall including twice in the last four years - in 2014 and 2016.
Man City only reached the fourth round of this competition before being beaten by Manchester United last season, but they have progressed from two of their previous three League Cup semi-finals in which they have won the first leg.
The Citizens have also won 12 and lost none of their last 14 League Cup matches against second-tier opposition when they themselves have been in the top flight, stretching back to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Nottingham Forest in December 1993.
PREDICTION: Right, we're 10 minutes away from kickoff at Ashton Gate, which means that it is time for a prediction!
Bristol City gave a really good account of themselves a fortnight ago, but they were near their best then while Man City were average, and Guardiola's side still managed to win. They have given themselves a fighting chance for this second leg, but it is hard to back against a Man City win tonight.
SPORTS MOLE SAYS: Bristol City 1-3 Man City
This will be just the third meeting between these two sides since 1980, all of which have come in the League Cup.
Before the first leg of this tie two weeks ago the two teams had not met since Manchester City's pre-investment days, when Emile Mpenza and Rolando Bianchi scored the goals in a 2-1 victory at Ashton Gate in the second round of this competition.
Bristol City have not beaten Man City since November 1979 when David Rodgers got the only goal of the game here at Ashton Gate, with Man City winning all three meetings since then.
Bristol City have won just once in their last eight meetings across all competitions too, drawing twice and losing five times during that spell.
The winner of this tie will face either Arsenal or Chelsea in the final at Wembley, with the second leg of that match taking place tomorrow and everything still to play for at 0-0 on aggregate.
It is worth noting that, while VAR will be used in that match and the final, it will not be in place tonight as only Premier League grounds have the facilities to implement it at the moment and it was deemed unfair to have had the system in place for only one of the legs of this tie.
Right, the players are out and we're just about ready to get started at Ashton Gate. Before we do, let's have a quick reminder of the team news...
BRISTOL CITY STARTING XI: Steele; Smith, Flint, Wright, Magnusson; Brownhill, Pack, Walsh, Bryan; Paterson; Reid
MAN CITY STARTING XI: Bravo; Walker, Stones, Otamendi, Zinchenko; Fernandinho, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Silva, Sane; Aguero
KICKOFF! And we're off! Manchester City get us underway at Ashton Gate!
The visitors win a corner in the opening seconds which Stones gets on the end of, but he can't get a clean connection on it and then fouls Brownhill when going for the second ball.
Man City have seen the lion's share of possession in these opening exchanges, as expected. Bristol City are yet to enjoy a lengthy spell on the ball yet.
Paterson gives the ball away in a dangerous position and Sane immediately pounces on it. He reaches the byline but his ball in is cleared behind by Flint at the near post.
Bristol City were really brave with their tactics on and off the ball at the Etihad Stadium, and they have begun in a similar fashion tonight. They have been pushed back a few times by Man City, as you would expect, but they aren't quite parking the bus at the moment.
Bristol City are so reluctant to just hoof the ball clear once they do win it back, but Man City's press is so good that they soon win the ball back in an advanced position. There is just no way out for the hosts at the moment.
Zinchenko provides some relief as he steers a shot/cross towards the far post which floats wide of the target.
Painful one for Walsh here as he catches a stud in the face from Otamendi, who won the ball but inadvertently followed through to connect with the Bristol City new boy.
OFF THE BAR! Man City come pouring forward in numbers on the counter-attack and Silva deftly touches into the path of Aguero, who stands his cross up into the middle. The ball floats towards goal instead, though, and clips the crossbar before eventually being dealt with by the hosts.
CHANCE! Chance for the visitors as Silva swings a cross into the box which Stones very nearly gets to in front of Pack. The defender seemed to escape Pack's attentions and got a slight touch on the ball, but not enough to steer it goalwards.
Well, if Lee Johnson had divided this match up into mini-landmarks then Bristol City have now reached the quarter-hour mark without suffering any damage. Man City have dominated possession and territory, but without creating any major openings.
De Bruyne comes forward and feeds the ball into the path of Sane, who looks to have created a yard of space to shoot but then loses his footing at the pivotal moment.
Bristol City cannot afford to gift Man City anything, but they almost do here. Walsh gives the ball straight to Aguero right on the edge of his own box, but his teammates are quick to react and block the Argentine's eventual shot.
YELLOW CARD! A chance for Bristol City perhaps! Fernandinho goes into the box for the slightest tug on Reid, giving the hosts a free kick in a very dangerous crossing position...
Bryan whips it in towards Flint, but it is too high for even him and Bravo collects.
SHOT! Man City immediately launch a quick counter-attack, but Bristol City get back really well and in the end limit the damage to only a Zinchenko shot which flashes wide of the near post.
Bristol City are defending very well here, so far protecting their keeper from any real trouble despite all of Man City's possession.
Sane swings a corner in towards the near post which is just too far in front of Silva. Bristol City then break in numbers, but the final ball lets them down.
SAVE! Steele is finally called into his first save of the match as Sane pokes the ball down the left channel for Silva, who drills a low strike across the face of goal. Steele gets a strong hand to it, though, diverting it not only away from goal but also away from Aguero following in.
SHOT! Silva threatens again here as he moves into shooting space, but this time he drags his low effort wide of the target.
That is the half-hour mark reached by Bristol City without any damage suffered, although of course it is not all about simply keeping Man City at bay tonight - the hosts need a goal and so far they are yet to have a single shot.
Brownhill breaks down the right flank in one of Bristol City brightest attacking moments of the night so far, but his low cross into the box strikes the heels of Fernandinho. The hosts really need to make the most of those rare attacking platforms.
SHOT! Another effort from Man City, but it is another one which flies off target as Fernandinho's long-range strike is always rising over the crossbar.
SAVE! Almost a chance for Bristol City, and certainly as close as they have come so far. Magnusson hauls one of his long throws into the box and Flint gets a flick on which, for a second, looks like it might loop over Bravo, but the keeper plucks it out of the air.
SHOT! Smart one-touch football between De Bruyne and Silva sends the former into shooting space, but he drags his effort well wide of the target. The final product has not been good enough from the visitors so far tonight.
SHOT! Moments later De Bruyne again finds himself with room to have a go from range, but this time Wright throws himself in the way of it. The resulting corner is only cleared as far as Aguero, who adjusts himself well but can't steer his volley on target.
SAVE! Another rare save for Steele to make as a shot from the edge of the box comes off the defender before hitting the keeper. Most importantly, though, it stayed out.
GOAL! Bristol City 0-1 Manchester City (Leroy Sane)
Manchester City's pressure has been growing in the last few minutes, and now they have punished Bristol City for some poor defending - a rare lapse from the hosts.
Magnusson is the man at fault as he rejects the chance to clear the ball out for a throw-in when inside his own box. Bernardo closes him down and wins the ball on the byline, squeezing it back to Sane who hits a firm first-time drive in via the foot of a despairing Flint.
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There will be two minutes of added time at the end of this first half.
HALF TIME: Bristol City 0-1 Manchester City (Man City lead 3-1 on aggregate)
The first half comes to an end at Ashton Gate, and it is Man City who have the advantage at the break both on aggregate and on the night courtesy of a late goal in that opening 45 minutes.
The visitors have dominated possession and territory so far, but clear chances were difficult to come by despite that until a rare defensive lapse opened the door for them to take the lead.
The goal came just two minutes before half time when Leroy Sane swept home a loose ball from inside the area, but only after Bristol City had wasted the chance to clear their lines.
Magnusson could have put the ball into the stands when inside his own area, but he instead tried to shepherd it behind for a goal kick. Bernardo prevented that and beat the defender for strength to smuggle it back to Sane, who fired the finish in via the foot of Flint.
Manchester City have had plenty of shots to go along with their possession tonight, but the vast majority of those have been off target and Steele has only been forced into a couple of saves.
The best of those saw him parry a low Silva strike away from goal and Aguero, who was following in for any scraps. The likes of Silva, Aguero, Zinchenko, De Bruyne and Fernandinho have all had sights of goal themselves without hitting the target, so it hasn't been the best of attacking performances for the visitors despite their lead.
Bristol City have defended admirably - with the exception of the goal - but they need more than that in the second half now.
The hosts have only had one shot so far - a tame backward header from Flint which was plucked out of the air by Bravo - but they need two goals without reply just to force extra time now. It could be time to throw caution to the wind, as dangerous as that is against this Man City side.
MATCH STATS!
Possession: 23%-77%
Shots: 1-15
On target: 1-3
Corners: 0-6
Fouls: 3-6
KICKOFF: Bristol City get us back underway, and they have made two changes at the break as Walsh and Magnusson are replaced by Nathan Baker and Famara Diedhiou.
SAVE! Bristol City gifted possession straight to Aguero from kickoff and the Argentine raced forward to the edge of the box before seeing his deflected effort plucked out of the air by the keeper.
Man City have started this second half with purpose - they want to kill this tie off early in this second period and one more goal should be enough to do it.
GOAL! Bristol City 0-2 Manchester City (Sergio Aguero)
That is surely the tie over now! Aguero makes it two on the night and 4-1 on aggregate at the end of a devastating couter-attack.
Sane gives the ball to De Bruyne before being blocked off when trying to join the attack, but De Bruyne simply then turns his focus to Aguero, who has peeled away from his marker. De Bruyne picks him out with a pass and Aguero then takes a touch before firing it into the bottom far corner.
SAVE! This is looking ominous for Bristol City now. Man City break forward again here with De Bruyne leading the charge and, despite Bernardo getting in his way, he draws another stop from the keeper with a low drive from 20 yards.
SHOT! Sane looks to get in on the act as the ball arrives to him on the left channel, but he lashes his volley well over.
CHANCE! Chance for the hosts to perhaps give themselves a glimmer of hope once again as Diedhiou gets a shot away, but it is straight at Bravo, who makes the save.
This is a really good spell for Bristol City at the moment, and it takes a fine defensive header from Fernandinho here to deny Reid. The hosts won't go down without a fight here!
Reid needed some treatment after that attacking following a collision with Fernandinho, which has just stunted the growing momentum for the hosts.
Almost a chance for Silva as he collects the ball just inside the box and goes for goal, but he is denied by a brilliant flying block.
Bristol City have responded really well to that second goal. There is no shame in losing to this Man City side, but they aren't going to go down with a whimper.
GOAL! Bristol City 1-2 Manchester City (Marlon Pack)
Now then! It may only be a consolation, but Bristol City are rewarded for their recent improvement!
It is sloppy defending from the visitors as the ball is hoisted high into the box, with Marlon Pack the only man to attack it with any real intent. It is a really good header from the midfielder too, planting it past Bravo and into the corner.
CHANCE! Almost a chance for Aguero to restore City's two-goal advantage on the night straight away, but he is off balance when finally getting his shot away and puts it over the crossbar.
Another break from the hosts here as Reid is picked out against only one other defender in the Man City half. The striker is on his own, though, and doesn't have the pace to stay clear of the rest of the defence. He instead waits for support, and the attack fizzles out.
And here is the all-important goal announcement from Bristol City's Twitter account...
SAVE! Important stop from Steele here as he keeps out what is very nearly an own goal. Walker went racing down the right before putting a low ball into the box that Flint almost turns into his own net.
Less than 20 minutes remaining in this match now and Man City have regained control of the game. Bristol City still need to two goal simply to force extra time, and even then they would need another in the additional period.
BRISTOL CITY SUB: The hosts make a change as Ryan Kent - on loan from Liverpool - replaces Paterson.
Sharp play from Steele as he comes off his line to beat Aguero to the ball, before immediately looking to launch an attack. The hosts are not hanging about now - they want another goal back.
There is concern over Walker here as he is caught in the head by Diedhiou while unawares. He needs some lengthy treatment on the field and, while it doesn't look to be anything major, Guardiola may choose to take him off just to be safe.
Sure enough, Walker is back on and looks like he will be fine to continue. Just 10 minutes remaining now, and barring any late collapse here Bristol City can once again hold their heads up high following this performance.
MAN CITY SUB: Aguero has scored in both legs of this tie, but he makes way to be replaced by Ilkay Gundogan for the closing stages.
The quadruple dream looks like being kept alive for Man City tonight, then. They haven't been at their best in this season's competition, but the fact that they will still reach the final says it all really.
MAN CITY SUB: Kyle Walker is withdrawn here for the closing stages, being replaced by Danilo.
Two 2-1 defeats to this Man City side is nothing to be ashamed of for Bristol City - indeed it is a lot better than many Premier League teams have fared.
CLOSE! So nearly a third for Man City right at the end as Danilo drives one towards the bottom far corner, only to see it bobble inches wide.
There will be five minutes of added time at the end of this match.
CLOSE! Bristol City are flagging now, but Bryan still finds the energy to throw himself in the way of a fine chance for Bernardo, deflecting the shot wide for a corner.
GOAL! Bristol City 2-2 Manchester City (Aden Flint)
Bristol City level things up on the night right at the death!
A ball towards the right channel is nodded back across goal by Reid, where Flint has done well to stay onside and tap the ball home. One more will send us to extra time!
GOAL! Bristol City 2-3 Manchester City (Kevin De Bruyne)
Man City get the last laugh with the final action of the game as Kevin De Bruyne rescues the win on the night!
The ball breaks to Sane on the left side and with Bristol City in all-out-attack mode it is simple for him to slide the ball in for De Bruyne, who is left with an easy finish.
FULL TIME: Bristol City 2-3 Manchester City (Man City win 5-3 on aggregate)
MANCHESTER CITY ARE IN THE EFL CUP FINAL!
Wow, what a finale to that match!
It looked as though Manchester City were cruising towards the EFL Cup final, but just as they did against Manchester United, Bristol City had some late drama up their sleeve.
Aden Flint's goal in the 94th minute left the hosts needing just one more to force extra time in the final minute of stoppage time, but that goal went in Manchester City instead, with De Bruyne killing off their hope once and for all at the death.
Man City had earlier seemingly put the tie beyond doubt through goals from Leroy Sane and Sergio Aguero either side of half time, opening up a 4-1 advantage on aggregate at one stage.
Pack responded just past the hour mark with a fine header which halved the deficit on the night, but that looked like being a mere consolation until the drama of stoppage time gave Man City a real scare.
As it is, though, Manchester City reach the EFL Cup final courtesy of a 5-3 aggregate victory, where they will face either Arsenal or Chelsea.
I will leave you with our match report for tonight's five-goal contest, and be sure to stick around for reaction from both camps too. We will also have full coverage of tomorrow's semi-final on site, so be sure to check back in for that from 7pm.
From me, though, it is goodbye for now!
