Guardiola: My team did more than enough to deserve Carabao Cup triumph
Manchester City boss, Pep Guardiola, insisted that his side did more than enough to deserve their fourth Carabao Cup final triumph in as many seasons.
Centre-back Aymeric Laporte – who could have seen red in the first half – ended up scoring the winner in Sunday’s showpiece. City dominated throughout, making 21 goal attempts to Tottenham’s two. However, it took until the 82nd minute for the French star to prove the hero.
The win had added significance, given that 8,000 fans were present as part of a UK government-led test event for mass gatherings after the coronavirus lockdown.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, Guardiola insisted that Spurs were always a threat, especially from the counter-attack.
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Asked if he felt frustrated at the lack of goals from his side’s dominance, Guardiola said: “Yeah, it was important, we play to score.
“We are happy to win the first title [of the season], the fourth in a row in this competition.
“We played with incredible personality from the first minute to win the game. We created a lot of chances, they had a few minutes and their counter-attack is always a danger.
“But in general, we played a really good game.”
City‘s latest silverware is Guardiola’s 30th of his illustrious management career, spanning spells with Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
He said: “It’s good. I was in big clubs so that is why it is easier to do it.”
However, he could end the season with 32 winners’ medals in his collection.
City are closing in on the Premier League title, after Manchester United drew 0-0 with Leeds earlier on Sunday.
However, the Champions League semi-final first leg clash with Paris Saint-Germain is up next.
Asked if he spends time working on set-pieces such as the one from which Laporte headed City in front, Guardiola added: “We don’t have time to work.
“Just the principles from the beginning so we know what to do and we just try to recover. It is tough but it is what it is – the schedule is this way.”
Riyad Mahrez won the Man of the Match award, while Fernandinho and Sergio Aguero picked up their sixth winners’ medals in the Carabao Cup since joining City.