Carabao Cup Final: Aston Villa 1-2 Manchester City player ratings as Foden stars


Manchester City lifted the League Cup title for the third year running and could thank a surprise inclusion in the starting lineup in inspiring a narrow victory against struggling Aston Villa. The player ratings in full from Wembley...

ASTON VILLA - 6.46

Orjan Nyland - 6.11: Could do nothing with either goal. Made one smart stop but also spilt two crosses after the break.

Frederic Guilbert - 6.59: Battled hard after a torrid performance against Southampton, producing three tackles and coping with Sterling's pace well.

Bjorn Engels - 6.29: Didn't do a great deal wrong and came so close to grabbing a late equaliser but his lack of pace was exposed at times.

Tyrone Mings - 7.19: An improved display from the England international who defended well in the main, winning three aerial duels and three tackles, but his distribution was poor.

Matt Targett - 6.35: Exposed time and again in the first half by Foden, clearly instructed to hold a narrow backline that backfired. Improved after the break.

Marvelous Nakamba - 6.01: Industrious but lacked any forward thinking on the ball and was perhaps fortunate not to be sent off for a strong tackle on Aguero, albeit winning the ball.

Douglas Luiz - 6.22: Some decent moments in possession but didn't press hard in the first half when the game was ultimately decided.

Ahmed Elmohamady - 6.49: Some good crosses into the box in a professional performance from the experienced Egyptian but was hemmed in for most of the game.

Jack Grealish - 6.17: Started brightly but was feeling his hamstring from 20 minutes in and was never really able to get out of second gear thereafter.

Anwar El Ghazi - 7.27: Like Targett, El Ghazi played narrow in the first half out of possession and was bypassed by switches of play but offered a threat on the break and delivered a telling cross for Villa's goal.

Ally Samatta - 7.05: Marked his first appearance at Wembley with a well taken diving header but was feeding off scraps for the majority of the game.

Subs: Trezeguet (6.03), Conor Hourihane (6.26), Keinan Davis (6.34)

 

 

MANCHESTER CITY - 6.81

Claudio Bravo - 6.60: A spectator for almost the entire game, could do nothing to save Samatta's header but forced a fine stop to tip Engels header onto the post late on and earn the win.

Kyle Walker - 6.19: Had very little to do defensively and wasn't really a threat on the overlap, with Foden holding the width on the right.

John Stones - 6.26: A crucial slip gave Villa a route back into the game to blot what was otherwise a pretty assured performance, but the former is what will be remembered.

Fernandinho - 6.34: Relatively untested and utlimately pretty anonymous but didn't put a foot wrong, as per.

Oleksandr Zinchenko - 7.38: Villa clearly felt Elmohamady could dominate Zinchenko in the air but ultimately it was the other way round, with the Ukrainian winning six of eight aerial duels as well as three tackles.

Rodri - 7.75: The match-winner, albeit in controversial circumstances from a wrongly awarded corner. Dominated in the air in the middle ground as well, crucially, as the opposition box.

Ilkay Gundogan - 7.27: Excellent delivery from corners, including the winner, and pulled the strings with ease under very little pressure in the first half, creating four chances and completing 93 per cent of his passes.

David Silva - 6.50: In what appears to be Silva's swansong season, he picked the sort of passes tht have littered a glistening career in England but did wane before being replaced.

Phil Foden - 7.95: A surprise inclusion in the lineup, the teenager justified his inclusion and then some, dictating the game and finding space aplenty off the right in the first half, assisting Aguero's opener, attempting five shots and completing three dribbles.

Raheem Sterling - 6.61: Subdued - not for the first time since the turn of the year - and ultimately overshadowed by his compatriot on the opposite flank. Deservedly booked.

Sergio Aguero - 7.28: Scored his customary goal against Villa and nearly added a second after the break, attempting five shots despite not being at his blistering best.

Subs: Kevin De Bruyne (6.20), Bernardo Silva (6.92), Gabriel Jesus (6.06)

Carabao Cup Final: Aston Villa 1-2 Manchester City player ratings as Foden stars