Manchester City Crash Out of Carabao Cup in Shocking 2-1 Defeat to Tottenham
Manchester City‘s Carabao Cup dreams were dashed on Wednesday night as they fell 2-1 to Tottenham Hotspur at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. An early 2-0 deficit was too much for the eight-time League Cup champions to overcome, despite a spirited debut performance from 18-year-old Jahmai Simpson-Pusey in the second half.
Things unraveled quickly for Pep Guardiola’s side, as Timo Werner struck just five minutes into the match, capitalizing on an attack launched all the way from Spurs’ own goalkeeper. Werner had another opportunity soon after, capitalizing on a loose pass from Ilkay Gundogan, though the German striker couldn’t convert.
City’s woes deepened as Pape Matar Sarr doubled Tottenham’s lead with a stunning strike, curling the ball past Stefan Ortega Moreno from a short corner play. City dominated possession for the next half hour, but Spurs’ defense was immovable, shutting down any attempts on Guglielmo Vicario’s goal.
In the dying moments of the first half, Matheus Nunes sparked hope for City with a composed finish, set up by Savinho’s skillful cross from the right wing. The two were City’s standout players of the half, their dynamic play keeping the visiting fans hopeful.
But the second half saw another twist of fate as Savinho, who had been a thorn in Spurs’ side, was stretchered off midway after sustaining an injury, robbing City of one of their main attacking threats.
Tottenham continued to press, with Werner missing a close chance and Dejan Kulusevski forcing a critical save from Ortega. Despite having more of the ball, City struggled to create dangerous chances against Tottenham’s resilient defense. A nervy moment came late in the match when Josko Gvardiol’s loose throw gifted Richarlison a one-on-one opportunity, but Ortega denied the Brazilian.
The Cityzens nearly snatched an equalizer when Nico O’Reilly’s effort was dramatically cleared off the line by Yves Bissouma. City’s late flurry fell short, and Spurs clung to their narrow lead.
Now, Guardiola must refocus his squad for their Premier League title defense as they head to face Bournemouth on Saturday, the second in a stretch of four consecutive away matches. Here’s how City’s players rated in this Carabao Cup clash:
Player Ratings
- Stefan Ortega Moreno – 5: Could’ve done better at the near post for Sarr’s goal; reliable in possession and made crucial saves.
- Rico Lewis – 6: Struggled early but grew into the game, controlling play in the second half.
- John Stones – 6: Strong defensively and looked to advance the ball when possible.
- Ruben Dias – 4.5: Had a difficult first half and was partly at fault for the first goal.
- Nathan Ake – 6: Caught out for Werner’s goal but solid otherwise.
- Nico O’Reilly – 6: Involved in City’s goal; nearly scored a late equalizer.
- Ilkay Gundogan – 4.5: Not his best showing, substituted at halftime.
- Matheus Nunes – 7.5 (MOTM): Consistently threatening, took his goal well.
- James McAtee – 6: Improved when moved to a false nine role, though struggled against Tottenham’s compact defense.
- Savinho – 7.5: Dangerous on the wing, key in setting up Nunes’ goal; unlucky with injury.
- Phil Foden – 5.5: Struggled as a false nine, failing to make an impact.
Substitutes
- Mateo Kovacic – 6: Brought energy but didn’t shift the game.
- Josko Gvardiol – 6: Reliable defensively but Spurs remained a counter-threat.
- Bernardo Silva – 6.5: Added composure and creativity late in the game.
- Jacob Wright – 6: Brought enthusiasm, narrowly missed the post with one effort.
- Jahmai Simpson-Pusey – 6: Confident debut, adding defensive support and forward drive.
Manchester City will need to regroup quickly as they eye the Premier League and Champions League, with a challenging fixture list ahead.
