Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur meet in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley Stadium this afternoon in the first domestic cup final of the season. City are aiming for their fourth Carabao Cup triumph in a row, while Spurs have the opportunity to win their first major trophy since 2008.
The build-up to the match has been rocked by off-field matters, following the announcement of the Super League late last weekend and the sacking of Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho on Monday. Both City and Spurs were involved in the controversial plans before withdrawing from the breakaway competition on Tuesday, while Spurs will be led out at Wembley by interim manager Ryan Mason after Mourinho was dismissed just six days before their biggest match of the season.
Spurs and City have both been boosted by the return from injury of a key player: Kevin de Bruyne is back for Pep Guardiola’s side, while Harry Kane returns for Tottenham. The duo will be expected to be among those who could make the difference in the final – if they are indeed fully fit. Follow all the latest from the game at Wembley below.
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Unbelievably it’s all square at half time.
45+1 mins: Half time. The whistle goes to signal the halfway point of the game and Tottenham have made it there on level terms. Pep Guardiola’s men have completely played them off the pitch in the first half but they haven’t found the back of the net. City have had 10 shots but only one on target, a Joao Cancelo effort just before the break that Hugo Lloris stopped at the near post.
Michael Jones25 April 2021 17:18
43 mins: Lucas Moura has the beating off Aymeric Laporte. Moura drives through the midfield, shaking off a tackle from Kevin De Bruyne before he runs into Laporte. Moura taps the ball round the Manchester City defender who brings him down to stop the run. He’s lucky to still be on the pitch.
Michael Jones25 April 2021 17:16
39 mins: Son Heung-min brings a cleared ball under control and sees a bit of space on the Tottenham right wing. He spots Harry Kane making a run towards the back post and attempts a cross that gets blocked and goes behind for a Spurs corner. Giovani Lo Celso delivers the set piece but doesn’t beat the first man and the chance goes begging for Tottenham.
Michael Jones25 April 2021 17:10
Chance for Riyad Mahrez!
36 mins: Joao Cancelo brings the ball up the left side of the pitch for Manchester City before swinging a beautiful cross field pass out to Riyad Mahrez. Mahrez’s first touch is equally impressive and he takes on Sergio Reguilon. The Tottenham left-back gets nowhere near Mahrez as he rolls the ball onto his left foot and drills one towards the far corner. Hugo Lloris leaps across to cover the shot but it goes wide of the back post.
Michael Jones25 April 2021 17:07
33 mins: Paul Tierney has a tough job on his hands. He’s refereeing his first major cup final and seems reluctant to pull out the cards, but tackles are flying in left, right and centre. Ruben Dias is penalised for a sliding tackle on Harry Kane, in which he won the ball but clipped the man. Free kick to Spurs and Dias avoids a card.
Michael Jones25 April 2021 17:04
Sergio Reguilon booked, Raheem Sterling misses!
30 mins: Sergio Reguilon cleans out Kevin De Bruyne on the Man City right wing and picks up a yellow card for his efforts. City attack through the middle as Fernandinho picks up the ball. Foden and Sterling both make darting runs into the box from the left wing as Fernandinho hits a through ball. Foden misses it but Sterling doesn’t. Hugo Lloris comes out to close him down as Sterling flicks it over the goalkeeper. The Spurs players look worried but the shot goes wide of the far post.
Michael Jones25 April 2021 17:02
Foden hits the post!
26 mins: Riyad Mahrez bursts forward on the right wing and feeds the ball into Kevin De Bruyne. He carries the ball into the box and hits a sharp, low pass into the middle that gets collected by Phil Foden. Foden fires one at goal with his left foot, hits Hugo Lloris in the chest and the ball rebounds away off the near post. Pep Guardiola has his head in his hands, he can’t believe Foden hasn’t scored there!
Michael Jones25 April 2021 16:58
Yellow Card for Laporte
23 mins: Lucas Moura catches Aymeric Laporte on the ball and breaks away for Tottenham. Laporte tries to recover and just brings down the man. Paul Tierney has no choice but to pull out a yellow card. Easy decision.
Michael Jones25 April 2021 16:56
18 mins: A bit of life from Tottenham who win a corner on the left side of the pitch. Son Heung-min whips the set piece into the box and Zack Steffen comes out to punch it away. Spurs are onto the loose ball in a flash and work it back out to the left. Son gives it to Toby Alderweireld, who’s stayed up the pitch, and the defender pulls a shot wide of the near post.
Michael Jones25 April 2021 16:51
Sterling denied!
15 mins: A Kevin De Bruyne corner is defended out for a throw in by Tottenham. De Bruyne takes it quickly with a throw to the byline for Phil Foden. Man City catch Spurs off guard and Foden is unmarked as he runs down the ball. He cuts it back into the middle of the penalty area and finds Raheem Sterling. Sterling shoots, aiming for the bottom corner but Eric Dier sticks out a leg and blocks the shot.
Michael Jones25 April 2021 16:46