In the English League Cup quarter-finals, Manchester City played away against Swansea City. The match, held in Wales, wasn't as easy as expected - the hosts surprised even a strong opponent.
He delighted Swansea fans in the first 15 minutes of the match. Josh Kay moved from the left flank, deflected the defender, and made a precise pass to Gonzalo Franco. The Portuguese striker shot the ball into the net, shocking Manchester City. For several minutes, it seemed the Manchester side had missed out on the victory.
But experience and "class" said their word. Pep Guardiola's pupils soon took control of the game. In the middle of the first half, Jeremy Dokou scored and equalized the score. In the second half, Omar Marmush put his team ahead, and Ryan Cherki decided the fate of the game. With a convincing 3-1 victory, the Citizens advanced to the next stage of the competition.
This match was remembered by fans for another important event - Abdukodir Khusanov, who was sidelined for more than a month due to an injury, played in the main lineup. The young defender played 63 minutes and played confidently. Experts gave him a positive assessment - although some episodes lacked confidence, his overall performance was assessed as stable.
Cityxtra.co.uk assessed the players' performance after the match. James Trafford was noted as a reliable goalkeeper with 7.5 points. He made an important save when the score was 1-0, though innocent in Swansea's first goal. Rico Lewis received 7 points for his usual active performance. Abdukodir Khusanov scored 6.5 points, and Nathan Ake - 7.
The return of Abdukodir Khusanov to the field after the injury delighted everyone. He played confidently throughout the match, but in some situations, he acted as if he lacked confidence. But this is natural for a player who has recovered from an injury. For Abdukadir, this was a very useful game on the path to restoring his athletic form.
The highest score was awarded to Frenchman Ryan Cherki - 9 points. He not only scored a goal, but also made one assist and was named the player of the match. His enthusiasm on the field and activity on the left wing were highlighted by fans and experts.
Omar Marmusch scored 8 points - the Egyptian striker played at a high level and proved himself confident even in the absence of Erling Haaland. Jeremy Doku is also remembered as the scorer with 8 points.
Notably, this victory was not only a step towards the final for City but also an opportunity to check the form of players returning to the squad. Guardiola expressed his satisfaction with the result, stating that "the team showed all their strength on the field."
Manchester City will now face Brentford in the quarter-finals. The match will take place on December 17th at the Etihad Arena, and fans are expecting another exciting clash. Undoubtedly, this time too, the "citizens" will try not to let go of victory.
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