Big Willy!, Liverpool 1 vs. 1 City (1-3 On Penalties)

“I prefer to lose a title than to lose my word, so Caballero played tonight.”

, Manuel Pellegrini – 28/02/2016.

Goals; Coutinho (83'); Fernandinho (49'), Penalty Shoot Out; Can; Navas, Aguero, Toure
Line Up (4-2-3-1/4-3-3);Caballero, Sagna (Zabaleta 90'), Kompany, Otamendi, Clichy, Fernando (Navas 90'), Fernandhino, Silva (Bony 110'), Sterling, Aguero
Stats;Possession, 61%/39%; Shots, 16(4)/20(7); Fouls, 18/15
Referee; Michael Oliver

I so nearly labelled this blog entry "Loyalty", and it would have been a fitting title for our dignified manager. Seldom is such a word used in football these days, let alone by a jaundiced media in regard to our beloved Man City. But the loyalty shown for Man City's deputy keeper Willy Caballero, by Manuel Pellegrini, ultimately won City their, and Manuel Pellegrini's second League cup in three seasons. In doing so Pellegrini vindicated his loyalty to the veteran keeper. He also vindicated his decision seven days ago in fielding a largely EDS eleven away from home to Chelsea in the FA Cup, now adding a League Cup win, to an impressive 3-1 away win in Kyiv in the Champions League on Wednesday night. Not that Man City's "charming man" will be singing his own praises, far from it, his post match interview, where he explained any other decision than to play Cabellero as unthinkable, showed again what a complete gentlemen he is, whatever the media throw at him.

Cabellero's penalty shoot out performance was simply outstanding. He saved two good, and one very good spot kick, just as City's hearts looked like being broken after Fernandinho had missed City's opener in the shoot-out. Caballero himself put his new found agility and confidence down to "intuition", but whatever it was, it vindicated both himself and his manager's confidence in him, as he saved point-blank from Origi's header in extra time and then pulled off the three penalty shootout saves in a row which won City the Cup.

Not that this was a keeper who plucked an undeserved victory out of the bag, quite the opposite. The first half was a cagey affair, with Aguero having the only real clear cut chance; latching onto a defence splitting through ball from Silva on 24' and cutting inside Sakho, only to see Mignolet get down at the last moment to touch his effort onto the post and out. In the second half, however, City dominated and should have had the game wrapped up in ninety minutes.

Aguero had already had one missed half chance from a Silva through ball, when on 49' he danced around the right of the penalty area before slotting through the assist for Fernandhino to blast the ball from a tight angle into and through Mignolet's legs, 1-0. Then on 60' Sterling had the chance to make the story of the day all about him. After the usual infantile booing from the Liverpool faithful (sic) all game, he was still bossing the left flank, with Clyne lucky to have only received one yellow with ever more desperate fouls on the youngster. But when the ball came in from Silva, seemingly on a plate, Sterling could only place the ball to the right of the post. Then came the ubiquitous terrible refereeing decision, denying City a penalty. On the 63rd minute Moreno dangled his leg behind him having been beaten by Aguero, catching the Argentine's ankle and impeding the attack, penalty!?! No :(, despite Oliver being less than eight yards from the incident, he bottled it and waved play on. City kept on the pressure though, and more than 75 minutes had passed without Liverpool registering a shot on target. Aguero had a couple of half chances, and then on 79', Sterling again had a chance to silence the boo boys, but shinned left of the post after latching onto a fine low cross from Aguero.

Then the unthinkable happened (or perhaps for City the inevitable); 84' a scramble in the area, City's defence looked shaky for the first time, Lallana scabs a shot against the post when tackled, and the rebound goes to Coutinho who registers Liverpool's first shot on target and equalises. 1-1. In the closing minutes, City again had good chances to score, with Fernando hitting the ball straight at Mignolet on 86', and the Liverpool keeper again coming to their rescue on 89' saving a Yaya Toure effort from close in. Full time 1-1.

In extra time Pellegrini tried to again up the tempo, pushing on Navas for Fernando, at the same time as replacing the injured Sagna for Zabaleta. No matter how City pressed though, the script seemed to be written "City undeservedly lose the cup to one shot on target by Liverpool, referee fails to give nailed on pen". Personally I was in bits, as to be fair the extra period was far more closely fought than the second half, with Liverpool coming close a couple of times; with the Origi effort I mentioned above being the closest. City again though created the most chances; with the Aguero effort at the end of the first 15 minutes from a one two with Silva perhaps the most deserving.

Then came the penalty shoot out, and the glorious vindication of our veteran keeper Willy Caballero. The hatrick of saves were magnificent, and the three City penalty takers who did score, Navas, Aguero, and finally Yaya Toure (always the man for the big game moment), all took solid purposeful efforts into the corners of the net, despite the huge occasion. City had finally nullified Liverpool's good fortune and had come out deserved winners. Caballero was carried on Wilfred Bony's shoulders to take deserved cheers from the crowd, and Manuel Pellegrini proved yet again to be the consummate gentleman, with a genuinely humbling end of match interview, marvelous.#CTID

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