Manchester City won their third consecutive Carabao Cup, and their fifth in seven years, with a tense 2-1 victory over Aston Villa at Wembley.
A much-changed City fully deserved to win, although Rodri’s decisive goal came in controversial circumstances.
Pep Guardiola made eight changes from the team that beat Real Madrid in the Bernabeu, but City still controlled the game and dominated possession throughout.
Sergio Aguero gave them the lead in the 20th minute after a good move involving Rodri and the impressive Phil Foden.
Rodri headed the second from a corner 10 minutes later, though replays showed it should have been a goal kick to Villa.
It looked like City would run riot at that stage, but Ally Samatta brought Villa back into the game just before half-time with a flying header after a laughable mistake from John Stones.
Villa struggled to get the ball in the second half, but they kept the score at 2-1, all the while hoping for one chance. It came in the 88th minute when Bjorn Engels’ header was shovelled onto the post by Claudio Bravo.
It was a noble defeat for Villa, though that will be little consolation in the immediate aftermath of the game. For City and Guardiola, it was yet another successful trip to Wembley.
