Manchester City booked their place in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup with a professional and composed 2-0 victory over Brentford at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday night. Goals from the impressive Rayan Cherki and Savinho sealed the win for Pep Guardiola's side, who demonstrated the growing control he demands as the season progresses.
Cherki's Curler Sets the Tone
The breakthrough came before half-time from the boot of Rayan Cherki. After a period of sustained pressure, a corner from the right was only partially cleared. The ball fell to the Frenchman on the edge of the area, and he expertly created space with a dummy before unleashing a magnificent curled effort into the top corner, leaving goalkeeper Hakon Valdimarsson with no chance.
City had been forced into an early change when Oscar Bobb was injured in the 18th minute, replaced by Phil Foden. The home side dominated possession throughout the first half, with Brentford's best opportunity coming from a Mathias Jensen free-kick that was well saved by James Trafford. Guardiola had named a team with experience, captained by Nathan Aké, to avoid a repeat of the recent defeat to Bayer Leverkusen.
Savinho Seals Semi-Final Spot
The hosts continued to dictate play after the interval, though Brentford showed brief flashes of threat through Vitaly Janelt and Kevin Schade. Guardiola made a triple substitution just after the hour mark, but it was one of the players who remained on the pitch who killed the tie.
On 67 minutes, Savinho doubled City's lead. Released down the left flank, the Brazilian winger drove into the box and saw his finish take a slight deflection, looping over Valdimarsson and into the net. It was only his second goal for the club, capping a lively performance.
A Night for Debuts and Dominance
The closing stages were a formality, allowing Guardiola to hand a memorable debut to 19-year-old Charlie Gray. The youngster received a trademark bearhug from his manager before entering the fray for the final minutes, taking up an advanced midfield role and linking play neatly.
City's near-stranglehold on the game from start to finish underlined their superiority. While Guardiola had apologetically stated that Saturday's Premier League clash with West Ham was the priority, his team delivered a performance of suffocating quality that gave Brentford, managed by Keith Andrews, scant opportunity to mount a comeback.
The victory sees Manchester City, who have won this competition four times in a row previously, advance to the last four as they continue their pursuit of silverware on multiple fronts this season.
