02/03/2014 The League Cup Show

Good evening. After 93 games and 317 goals, the time had finally come to

see who would get their hands on the first trophy of the season.

Sunderland took on Manchester City in the Capital One Cup Final. Steve

and Leroy are with me to reflect on a dramatic afternoon. But first, a

reminder of how the two sides got to Wembley. If it is goals you're

after, Manchester City have been the team to watch this season. Manuel

Pellegrino's side scoring 19 times on the way to today's appearance at

Wembley. Wigan the first to feel the Brunt of City's new found attacking

intent. The FA Cup holders were on the end of a 5-0 thrashing at the

Etihad. Newcastle were the next to suffer, beaten 2-0 at St James'

Park. In the quarter finals, runaway Championship leaders Leicester were

beaten 3-1. West Ham were outclassed a staggering 9-0 over two legs.

Chasing a domestic League and Cup triple this season, would City's

manager be celebrating his first triumph this afternoon? The Black

Cats negotiated early round ties against League One opposition MK

Dons and then Peterborough under the guidance of, first, Paolo di Canio,

then caretaker Kevin Ball. But since the arrival of the Uruguayan in

October, Sunderland have been a different proposition. Southampton

were bundled out of the competition in round four. Next up were Chelsea.

Ki Sung-Yeung's thumping extra time winner giving Sunderland a deserved

route to the semi-finals. A struggling Manchester United stunned

over two legs. Sunderland winning a dramatic tie on penalties to book

their place in their first League Cup Final since 1985. As a trophy

made its entrance, the scene was set for the first Wembley showcase of

the season. No time to waste. Let's join our match commentators, Kevin

Kilbane and Guy Mowbray. This is it, the first big day of the

season. Manchester City over the last three years becoming well used

to these occasions, Sunderland enjoying their first trip to Wembley

for 16 years. Their first Cup Final for 22 years. The scene is set, the

stadium is packed, the sphere is electric. -- atmosphere. Amongst the

galaxy of stars, one name stands out for Manchester City. Aguero is back

to fitness. Despite Dzeko, they have missed him. Pantilimon is yet to

concede a goal. Sunderland have got four previous winners of this

competition. O'Shea and Brown. Larsson and Ki.

Martin Atkinson blows his whistle and the 54th League Cup Final is

underway at Wembley Stadium. It looks a picture, as it always does.

It somehow makes it even better occasion when it is blue and red.

Passion and cholera everywhere you look. On the field, Manchester City

are settling into their rhythm. Yes, very quickly. Sunderland are packing

the midfield. Manchester City are very settled in possession. Dzeko

with the first missed touch of the game. Foul whether it to the first

-- put paid to the first match. -- foul weather put paid. Sunderland

are the massive underdogs for this. The first tackle of the day.

Bardsley took no prisoners. That was a heavy challenge. That is what he

would want to do, try to get very close to Silva. Demichelis, a little

bit of pressure on him, he has taken a lot of flak for some of his

performances of late. Zabaleta can do no wrong.

Kolarov, he just checked himself. He was getting ready to cross. That

split second delay cost. -- Kosten. Bardsley, a little bit over the top.

Mannone, his first save of the game. Larson. He has on goal! It is

Borini. Borini gives Sunderland the lead. He has been their man for the

biggest of all of their goals this season and he has done that again.

Again, Lee Cattermole was breaking up that attack. What a wonderful

ball from Johnson played forward. Kompany, caught out. What a

wonderful finish from Borini. The outside of his right foot. Listen to

that noise! Manchester City, nil. Look at that room. His first ever

visit to Wembley, Colback. Demichelis with that flying header.

Sunderland corner. They have so could up the early pressure. Just at

the moment, they are in command of this Cup Final. -- they have soaked

up. Larson has been here and has done this before. Not properly away.

Sunderland corner again. That is a real chance. Not a great header from

Fernandinho. Good pressure from Sunderland. Over the bar. Wes Brown.

Only one goal since becoming a Sunderland player, the late winner

at Queens Park Rangers. Bardsley. Silva to that of him. Dzeko, incomes

Cattermole. It just ran away from him. And that was an easy save for

Mannone. Again, Aguero slipping away from Alonso. That was good

awareness. Lee Cattermole getting across. Preventing Nasri from

getting that clean strike at the goal. Johnson has wriggled through.

Fernandinho clears. The whistle has gone. City free kick. City have been

switching off at the back. Just that long throw played into Johnson. Just

switching off. Fernandinho. Nasri. City starting to look menacing

again. Zabaleta. Yaya Toure. Bardsley is the important defender

for Sunderland once more. Chased by Zabaleta. He forged that corner.

Sunderland defending very narrowly. Bardsley, very tight with Wes Brown.

He dealt with that very well. Corners have been a problem,

defending them, for Sunderland this season. Kompany. Another corner.

Nasri. Right across the face of the goal. And that was a very good

header. Poor defending at the near post from Sunderland, there.

Aguero. O'Shea has to stand. That was a good challenge for Alonso.

When they are in possession and comfortable, they can become

disjointed. Running away from Kompany! What a tackle. We could be

talking about that in massive terms of the end of this. Clearly offside,

whether or not the linesman thought that was a touch. Clearly offside.

Kompany, he timed to perfection. Wonderful challenge. Borini. All set

to double this up. We will soon hear the whistle for half-time. Midway

through the 2014 League Cup Final and the goal from Borini has

everything set up for an upset. Sunderland have the lead against

Manchester City. Red and white delight at half-time. City feeling

blue. And away go Sunderland. There has

been a concerted campaign by the football club in the build-up to

their first major final for 22 years through social media, dare to dream.

They will read Doering and dreaming right now. They will also be

defending for a while. Silva. Yaya Toure. Looking for Nasri. And it has

been flipped behind. There was a little break down implementation. --

in communication. Demichelis could not turn. Colback kept his cool

right in front of his goalkeeper. Fernandinho. Dzeko might only need

one chance to school. Silva has got a chance, cure. He has held on. He

had to. Pressure from Alonso. Silva did not really get hold of that. The

pressure is just mounting. Zabaleta has to work to keep the ball and he

has done that. Fernandinho. Somebody has its flicked a switch

and we are off, the game has come to light. David Silva has his feet

taken by leak Ajmol. -- Lee kata mole.

That a City in general. -- Betty City. Was Nasri high on Sebastien

Larsson? No free kick. Toure. Brilliant! What a goal from your

yard Toure -- Yaya Toure! That is a stroke of magic.

Manchester City are level in the League Cup final and in the grandest

of styles. Absolutely outstanding. We were talking at half-time, who

was going to be the player who would get City back into it. Not enough

pressure on him but that is unstoppable, absolutely unstoppable.

Couldn't have placed it any better, what a goal. That could not have

been measured any more precisely. Pantilimon in a real hurry.

Brilliant kick. Dzeko wants it but it comes to Samir Nasri! It is

another super strike! City turn it around in the blink of

an eye. Toure wonderful control from Aguero. Kolarov getting on the

outside. Decent ball in, a little deflection took it into the path of

Nasri. What a finish. Two wonderful strikes from Manchester City to get

themselves in front. Up until then, all Samir Nasri's goals this season

have come at home. Now he fires in at Wembley Stadium.

Plenty of power, didn't get the bend. Yes, decent effort.

The flag is waved in Sunderland's favour.

It was a test for Pantilimon. A scream of handball, mainly from the

fans behind the goal. A Sam Notaro, should they have had more? I am not

so sure that he had a good view. I don't think that's a penalty.

Demichelis somewhat atones for his error by flicking the ball clear.

Kolarov caught on the ball. A good spell for Sunderland. Straight at

Pantilimon. Battle came from Demichelis' poor clearance -- that

all came. He did well, Alonso, he showed him

the line. Couldn't quite shake him off, Navas.

Nasri is in much ball relaxed mood now. At the moment, he stands to be

the cup winner. It is wide, with some City fans

ready to cheer again. Sunderland haven't dealt with these corners

well today. Wes Brown did enough to prevent him getting his strike on

target. Gus Poyet hoping that there will be at least one more big chance

before time runs out on him. Foul by Negredo, his first action.

Good feet by Fletcher, buying the foul. It is an opportunity for

Sunderland to put the ball into the mixer. Two minutes to go and Mannone

is going all the way up to halfway to take this. City are vulnerable,

long balls into the box. Steven Fletcher couldn't get it

under control, and the chance to find a team-mate in the middle and

maybe rescue the cup final has gone. That was the big chance. If he pulls

the trigger... Get your strike away, he always wanted to check it back

onto his left foot. That was the big chance. He who hesitates is lost.

That might be the case for Gus Poyet and his black cats -- Black Cats, in

this final. He got to one League Cup final as a player and lost. The

sense of deja vu. Sunderland are going to drag every

last ounce of effort out of themselves. But look at this.

Manchester City are swarming forward. It is Toure. It is Jesus

Navas. It is all over! The first part of the season is

going to the blue half of Manchester. And the League Cup is

being won by Manchester City for the first time since 1976. 3-1. Toure,

the man who scored the first goal to get City back into the game, it

wonderful break. Perfectly timed pass to Navas, finished it really

well, giving Mannone no chance. The noise is Sunderland noise. They

have been making it all weekend long around every part of London and they

are going to all the way home as well. It has been some trip for

them, they have had a great read to get here and they are going to

enjoy. The club can be so proud to be here. Sixth time in a row at

Wembley they have lost. The only time they went all the way this

competition, they were beaten and went on to be relegated.

Nasri has had a big influence on the Ciganda, him and Toure. Zabaleta

went down but back to his feet in glory, because the full-time whistle

sounded at Wembley. Pellegrini beats poi yet, City beat Sunderland. There

will be a blue moon in the sky tonight because Manchester City have

won the League Cup for the first time since 1976. Their hunt for all

of the trophies this season goes on, because one is in the bag. Gus

Poyet's Sunderland gave it everything they had. Manchester City

just had a little bit too much. Thank you, Sunderland. Thank you,

City. A wonderful League Cup final. Congratulations, your first trophy

in England. Thank you very much, it is very important in your first

season to win the first trophy, it is important to me, the players, the

club, everyone. What a few years it has been viewed as part of this

Manchester City experience. -- for you. It has been unbelievable

and I never take anything for granted. Those moments special, it

is a special stadium, it is a special experience to lift the

trophy at Wembley and I am enjoying every single moment of it.

Vincent Kompany begins the walk. 107 steps, whatever route you take, up

to the presentation Gallery at Wembley. It doesn't feel that big at

all when you are the winning captain. Manchester City's name is

going to be on the roll of honour for the third time. 1970, 1976 and

now, some 38 years on, 2014. Manuel Pellegrini had been set a target of

five trophies over the next five seasons. He might win three or four

this season alone. City fans feel the best is yet to come. The first

has arrived. Manchester City are the 2014 League Cup winners.

Another special day, another special trophy is one. We know how hard we

are working for this club and they reality and commitment of all the

players in this club is fantastic, and this mean so much also for the

fans, because always they have the opportunity to come to Wembley, when

a final, celebrate, fantastic. All this week, I was talking about the

last trophy and how I always lose at Wembley, we were underdogs, so I

really enjoyed this game and I am really happy. What are you thinking

at half-time because Sunderland put one hell of a shift in? Years, the

start of the game, it was a very tough game. They have a good team,

great individual players and they made it difficult in the beginning

but in the second half, we came back stronger, we did a better job and we

were more aggressive and at the end of the day, the quality also made

the difference. Three fantastic goals and that is it.

As the manager, it must be lovely to know you have such quality, someone

like Toure can produce something like that. It is always important

for a good team to have good players. Top players decide games. I

think today, as a team, we also work very well because we had the

patience to try and produce the space and we defended very well

except for a goal on the counterattack. Do you have time to

think before you hit a goal like that? Yes, of course, because with

the team that plays so defensive, you have to shoot from outside. I

tried it and today, it was a goal, it was great. Sunderland, where they

are, playing a final that they could win, because they also played very

well, they had the attack and they scored, the game was a very

difficult one. But we scored three goals.

I know you will be disappointed but she must be very proud as well. I am

very proud, that was the main thing today. We knew he was in front of

us, the quality they had, and everything you -- needed to work

perfectly for us. A wonder goal from one of the best players in the world

today changed the game and it was difficult, but we reorganised and we

had another go. We had a few approaches and if we took better

chances or touches in the last third, you are back in the game, but

I am proud of the way we played and the way the supporters supported us.

We are very proud, they won the game with two great goals and after, we

were trying to get it back and we were a bit unbalanced, but to score

against us, we showed they had to be the real Man City and scored two

unbelievable goals but only that quality can give you. My job is to

stay in the Premier League, because it is merely an impossible job. I

came in because we weren't right, down at the bottom, too far from the

rest. Slowly, we started to do special things, not just to play

here. I hope this will give us the extra experience to go on and be

good in the league and make sure we stay in the Premier League.

Congratulations to Manchester City and tough luck to Sunderland. At the

end of the day, the scoreline looked comfortable for Manchester City but

it was anything but. No, it was a wonderful game, fantastic

atmosphere. Sunderland were really good first half. They were undone

ultimately by two pieces of absolute magic, no doubt about that. And that

is what you pay your money for. But I think Sunderland will walk away

and say, no regrets, we gave it a go. A lot of people will say Man

City didn't play well in the post but it was down to Sunderland. It

was a 4-5 -1 formation, the way they brokered City, with Borini, Johnson

and Colback, they deserve credit for that. Almost an hour, Sunderland

stood firm, they defended in numbers and we got a glimpse just seconds

into the contest. stood firm, they defended in numbers

and we got They set the tone very early. Phil Bardsley here. That is

part and parcel of his game. They managed to get numbers goal side of

the ball when need be and they were also a threat going forward. You see

teams defending deep but have nothing going forward and it was

nice to see Borini in his correct position. He did is played at

Liverpool and he hasn't played it in sporadic spells for Sunderland, said

it was nice to see that loan front player getting it behind and being a

threat. It wasn't just defensive. Phil Bardsley and capture more work

very influential. -- capture more. Negotiator John Sinan Kolarov, he

still has a lot to do. But that is a wonderful finish. Demichelis doesn't

get over and cover, doesn't anticipate that Vincent Kompany is

going to miss the challenge but he still has a lot to do, it is a

lovely instinctive finish with the outside of the foot and they

deserved it at the time. What a chance he had just before

half-time. He doesn't keep the ball between himself and the defender.

You don't get a lot of time in those situations. He opens itself up,

wanted to get onto his right foot and keeps it on his left, it is not

his favourite, but he might do anything. At that range, anything

might happen. They went in one -0 and Pellegrini told the players to

trust their instincts. It was a sluggish start to the second half

and the game turned on its head. It made it difficult again for Man

City. It looked like they were going nowhere. They were really

frustrated. From absolutely nowhere, he produced one of the most amazing

goals you will see in any Cup Final. How hard is that do? Incredibly. You

have to get it up and over. And he actually does not get anywhere near.

It was a wonderful shot. They have tried some intricate passing and you

think that Sunderland have got them worked out. It is what you pay your

money for. Nasri came up with another sublime finish. In the

main, they were ineffectual, are part in this. Aguero, great touch.

This finish is just as good. Instinct of late, I'd side with the

food, he does not break his stride and right in the corner. It looks

even better. You look back and you go, where did we go wrong

defensively? Nothing, they could do nothing. If Sunderland play like

that, they will be safe from relegation but that is the first

trophy for Manuel Pellegrino. Will others follow? There is enough

quality. I do think that Aguero will play a massive part in this season.

Yes, I think there are more trophies and for Sunderland, they lost the

Cup in 1985 and they went down but they will stay up on that

performance. We will have to leave it there. Commiserations to

Sunderland. Well done to Manchester City, winners of the Capital one

Cup. Could this just be the start? From all of stash good night. --

from all of us - good read. -- goodnight.

He has stayed in front of Kompany. It is Borini! Yaya Toure! What a

goal! That was another superb strike. It

is all over. City beat Sunderland. Manuel Pellegrino beats Gus Poyet.