Manchester City lift cup on penalties

Manchester City lifted the League Cup on penalties on Sunday afternoon to retain the English League Cup by beating Chelsea 4-3 on penalties after a bizarre climax to the Wembley showpiece on Sunday.

Nothing could separate the sides as the match finished 0-0 after extra time but it was City who claimed the season's first major silverware as they won the shootout.

Raheem Sterling fired the decisive spot kick past Spaniard Arrizabalaga to complete the first part of what could be a quadruple for Pep Guardiola's side.

Arrizabalaga minutes earlier been involved in surely one of the strangest incidents in a Wembley final when he defied Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri's orders to come off in the closing minutes of extra time after appearing to be injured.

Sarri, who had told substitute keeper Willy Caballero to take over from Arrizabalaga, was left fuming in the technical area at the open show of mutiny by one of his players.

It was a big misunderstanding because I understood the keeper had cramp and was unable to go to the penalties. But it was not cramp and he could go to the penalties, Sarri said.

To compound matters Arrizabalaga then dived over Sergio Aguero's weak penalty during the shootout.

He did save from Leroy Sane but when Chelsea's David Luiz struck the post with his spot kick, it was left to Sterling to smash his penalty high into the roof of the net and send the City fans into delirium after a tense afternoon.


KEY STATS

• The last two League Cup finals to go to penalties have both been won by Manchester City - they have now won each of their last six penalty shootouts.
• Manchester City, 2018 winners of the League Cup against Arsenal, are only the fourth team to retain the trophy after Manchester United, Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.
• Chelsea have now lost four times at Wembley this season, losing in the Community Shield against Manchester City and in the Premier League and League Cup semi-final against Spurs.

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