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| Manchester City are bidding to win the competition for a third year in succession and a fifth time in seven seasons in Sunday’s showpiece at Wembley |
Manchester City will hope to carry momentum from their stunning victory over Real Madrid into Sundayโs Carabao Cup final.
City are bidding to win the League Cup for a third year in succession and a fifth time in seven seasons as they face Aston Villa at Wembley.
They go into the game in good spirits after defying the odds to come from behind and beat Spanish giants Real in the Champions League on Wednesday.
That result also lifted some of the gloom at the Etihad Stadium after the club were hit with a two-year ban from European competition over Financial Fair Play breaches.
Striker Gabriel Jesus, who scored Cityโs equaliser, said: โWe are very proud of the performance.
โThere will be another game, the second leg, and that will be difficult, but now we have to focus on the final on Sunday and play to win the first title.
โSunday is important. Itโs been a big week because we also played Leicester away, a team with a lot of quality, and went seven points in front of them (in the Premier League).
โSo weโve had two very good games, and now itโs a final. Itโs important to win the first title of the season.โ
Jesus was surprisingly chosen ahead of Cityโs record goalscorer Sergio Aguero at the Bernabeu and then, equally unexpectedly, did not play as a centre forward. Instead he produced an impressive performance from the left wing while Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva operated as false nines.
Jesus, 22, said: โWhen I started to play at Palmeiras I was a winger in the first team.
โAfter a year I started to play as the second striker, and after that as the first striker, so I can play there.
โI can play all four front positions โ both wings and both striker positions. I enjoy the work and it doesnโt matter if I have to run back. I am young! I have the power and energy to do this.โ
Cityโs hopes of silverware this season now lie in the domestic cups and the Champions League after a failure to maintain a strong Premier League title defence in the face of Liverpoolโs excellence.
Sundayโs final is an event manager Pep Guardiola is taking seriously.
He said: โI know how difficult it is to reach the final. When you start the competition everyone is involved. When you arrive at the final itโs because weโve done really well, in terms of winning games and the mentality of playing every three of four days.
โIt is a great achievement for us but now we must try to win.โ
Guardiola was quick to put the midweek heroics behind him and focus on Villa. Despite their opponents being involved in a relegation battle, the City boss expects a strong challenge.
He said: โThe result of the last days is past, it is gone, and now we focus on the final, a different competition.
โThey are a historic team, they have a Champions League (European Cup win) in their history and I think it will be a fantastic game.
โThey are well organised and have a keeper with incredible experience in Pepe Reina. They have fast players up front and physicality in the middle, especially with the central defenders, good headers.โ
City won 6-1 at Villa Park last month but Guardiola insists that counts for little.
He said: โIt was a good game when we went there but itโs not good preparation for the final. We will prepare tactically and mentally knowing we have an incredible challenge to win.โ
Press Association
