Carabao Cup Final

MANCHESTER CITY 1 (Laporte 82)
TOTTENHAM 0

RYAN Mason’s League Cup dream was not to be – but while the rookie manager failed to find a way to deny champions-elect Manchester City their first piece of silverware of the season, he will be quietly pleased that Tottenham made a game of it.

It took City 82 minutes to hit the games solitary goal – Aymeric Laporte’s header from a poorly defended corner settling matters at Wembley.

Spurs came with an inferiority complex and the pattern of the game felt like the teams were from different divisions.

Mason’s team cast themselves in the role of the plucky underdog. It meant they sought to be pragmatic at the expense of their attacking strengths.

The coach, who, at 29, is four years younger than his captain Hugo Lloris, and once played alongside eight of his first XI, took heart from the sense of unity and effort – key components for any successful side and one markedly absent in recent months.

Mason praised City, and said: “They are a great side, an incredible team but I think our group of players gave everything, especially with what they have had to deal with in the last seven days. They gave absolutely everything. That is something to be proud of.”

And how refreshing to hear a Spurs manager reflect honestly on the gulf between the two teams, and not be drawn into a game of what if’s, when it was pointed out that the scorer of the match-winning goal, Laporte, was fortunate not to have received two yellow cards.

Mason added: “I thought in the first half we rode our luck on a couple of occasions. We made some really crucial blocks. It was difficult, they had long spells in possession but there were times when it was controlled and we were trying to cause them problems.

“I thought in the second half we had a really good moment early on, and forced a really good save. We had a couple of set-plays, but didn’t really create much.

“I don’t think in the second half they created much either, I never felt in danger. As the game went on we had longer spells of possession, the game was opening up a little bit, and there was more space to play. It was difficult to concede from a set-play – that was tough to take.”

Mason’s brave call to drop Tanguy Ndombele, who has been an ever-present in the side, for Harry Winks showed the manager was stamping himself on the line-up. He would also not be drawn into the romantic notion of playing Gareth Bale from the start. Instead, the Welshman’s attacking potency would have to come via the bench.

But it looked like Mason’s big day out was going to be over before anyone had got their knees muddy.

In the opening 15 minutes, City toyed with their opponents: they had come to put on a show as they carried off the cup. Bolstered by the inclusion of fitness-doubt Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden, City looked like they wanted to set Wembley alight.

Faced with this daunting prospect, Mason took a leaf out of the Jose Mourinho playbook. He set up to stifle, and counter – it was as if the ghost of the previous coach was yet to be exorcised.

With the confidence of being Champions-elect, City were relentless. Raheem Sterling on the left had been told to get at Serge Aurier. And Sterling enjoyed plenty of the ball and attacked at will. Fortunately, the inconsistent Aurier rose to the challenge, and a battle of wits ran throughout.

Sterling went close but ran out of space on 12 minutes, and then he tee’d up Foden for a near post effort that flashed wide.

Joao Cancelo, Riyad Mahrez and Ilkay Gundogan also tested Lloris, who was, at times, inspired: a double save from point blank range which saw him deny Gundogan and then Sterling was a heady mix of reflexes and bravery.

Somehow Spurs clung on in the face of whirlwind football, and their defence did something not seen for some time. They rolled up their sleeves and stuck doggedly to their task.

Mistakes were kept to a minimum, and while the back-four looked uncomfortable on the ball when asked to play it out, each put in their share of blocks and tackles.

After staggering punch-drunk to half time, Mason must have dished out the smelling salts in the changing room. The Spurs players decided it was time to venture beyond the halfway line after the break, with Giovani Lo Celso conjuring up Tottenham’s best effort, a well-placed shot from outside the box which City ‘keeper Zack Steffen got a hand to.

Harry Kane was, as ever, seeking to instigate but was not helped in his task by a strangely muted performance from Heung-Min Son. Lucas Moura fought hard and was the victim of a couple of truly cynical challenges, while Bale’s attacking potency did not really warm up during his 30 minute cameo.

The winner eventually came after another spell of City pressure that saw Eric Dier and Toby Alderweireld show their mettle with four marvellous blocks, back-to-back. But as they discovered, City’s attack is like the Ancient Greek hydra – cut off one threat and another pops up in its place.

After Lloris had pushed a shot away, the resulting corner was swung in and substitute Moussa Sissoko was not lively enough to challenge the man he was meant to be marking. Laporte got to the ball first, and guided his header away from Lloris’s despairing dive.

It was enough to give the cup to the worthy winners. For Spurs, solace can be found in the narrow scoreline, and the way every player fought for the badge.

A rookie manager could not really have asked for, or expected, any more.

Manchester City: Steffen, Walker, Dias, Laporte, Cancelo, Fernandinho (Rodri, 84), Gundogan, Mahrez, De Bruyne (Silva, 86), Sterling, Foden
Substitutes not used: Ederson, Ake, Jesus, Aguero, Zinchenko, Torres, Mendy

Spurs: Lloris, Aurier (Bergwijn, 90), Alderweireld, Dier, Reguilon, Hojbjerg (Alli, 84), Winks, Lo Celso (Sissoko, 67), Lucas Moura (Bale, 67), Son, Kane
Substitutes not used: Hart, Sanchez, Lamela, Tanganga, Ndombele

Attendance: 7,773