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MANCHESTER CITY CLINCH RECORD FOURTH STRAIGHT LEAGUE CUP

Aymeric Laporte headed a late winner as Manchester City beat Tottenham 1-0 to claim the Carabao Cup for the fourth successive year.

The Frenchman, who Spurs felt could have been sent off earlier in the game, nodded in from a corner 10 minutes from time as City claimed a victory their superiority fully deserved.

Spurs interim manager Ryan Mason had gambled on the fitness of Harry Kane but the England captain hardly threatened as City completely dominated.

It was a record-equalling eighth League Cup triumph for City and their sixth in the past eight seasons.

They will also hope it is the first of three trophies this season alone, although Spurs could argue Laporte was fortunate to still be on the field to claim the decisive goal.

The Frenchman committed two cynical fouls of Lucas Moura in the latter stages of the first half but was only booked for the second one.

Yet, in truth, Spurs struggled in a one-sided contest.

It was a joyous occasion for City and also a significant day for the wider game as both clubs had a limited number of fans present.

Following on from 2,000 local residents being permitted at an FA Cup semi-final last week, 8,000 spectators were this time allowed inside Wembley.

Each side had 2,000 of their own socially distanced fans and the noise generated, even by such a small gathering, much a huge difference to the atmosphere after a season of games behind closed doors.

The Spurs fans gave Mason plenty of support in what must have been a daunting task in only his second game in charge following the unexpected sacking of Jose Mourinho.

They also made their thoughts on the club board clear as they, along with City, continue to deal with the fallout from this week’s shambolic European Super League episode.

Not surprisingly Mason risked Kane but City were also boosted by the return of Kevin De Bruyne.

That was not the only good news for City as Manchester United’s failure to beat Leeds earlier in the day put them within two wins of regaining the Premier League crown.

Yet that was not the issue on Guardiola’s mind and, judging by his decision not to wrap De Bruyne in cotton wool, nor was Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final against Paris St Germain.

Guardiola’s side went straight onto the front foot and it was remarkable it took them so long to make the breakthrough.

Raheem Sterling, challenged by Guardiola to rediscover his best after a run of indifferent form, looked lively from the start.

The England forward made some good early runs and teed up a good chance for Phil Foden, who shot wide.

Sterling then put wide himself from a Riyad Mahrez cross before having another good chance brilliantly blocked by Eric Dier.

Foden thought he had scored after De Bruyne whipped in a cross and a chance fell to him at close range but his effort deflected off Toby Alderweireld and hit a post.

So limited were Spurs’ chances their fans celebrated winning a corner as if it was a goal but they had a rare opportunity when Alderweireld dragged a long-range shot wide.

Sterling went close again when he attempted to lift over Huge Lloris from a tight angle and Mahrez twice narrowly missed the target in quick succession.

Joao Cancelo then tested Lloris from outside the area but Spurs somehow reached the interval with their goal intact.

Spurs made a stronger start to the second period and finally worked Zack Steffen in the City goal as Giovani Lo Celso curled in a low shot, but the American tipped it round a post.

Yet City kept coming and twice threatened on the counter-attack before De Bruyne and Mahrez were closed down. Fernandinho then headed at Lloris, Mahrez forced another save and Ilkay Gundogan volleyed wide.

Finally City got the goal their superiority deserved as Laporte came forward and powered home a header from a De Bruyne corner. There was no way back for Spurs as City pressed to the end.

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Man City, 2nd-division Brentford into cup semis in England

City’s players are regulars at the business end of domestic competitions and kept alive their bid to win the League Cup for a fourth straight season with a 4-1 win at Arsenal on Tuesday.

If Manchester City’s presence in the semifinals of the English League Cup is no real surprise, the same cannot be said about second-division club Brentford.

By beating Newcastle 1-0 to take down a fourth Premier League opponent so far in the competition, Brentford reached the semis of a major cup competition for the first time in the southwest London club’s 131-year history.

City’s players, on the other hand, are regulars at the business end of domestic competitions and kept alive their bid to win the League Cup for a fourth straight season with a 4-1 win at Arsenal on Tuesday.

The holders were given a helping hand by Arsenal’s backup goalkeeper Rúnar Alex Rúnarsson, who — with the score at 1-1 at the start of the second half — fumbled a free-kick attempt by Riyad Mahrez and saw the ball squirm behind him into the net.

Further City goals from Phil Foden and Aymeric Laporte piled on the agony for Arsenal and its under-pressure manager Mikel Arteta, whose team has plunged to 15th place in the Premier League. It was Arsenal’s heaviest home loss in a domestic cup match in 22 years.

City is looking to win the League Cup for an eighth time, which would tie the record of Liverpool in the competition. Six of the titles have come in the previous eight seasons.

The other quarterfinal matches take place on Wednesday, when Everton hosts Manchester United and Tottenham is at second-tier Stoke.

BRILLIANT BRENTFORD

Drawn against one of the two non-Premier League teams left in the competition, Newcastle squandered a great chance to advance to the semifinals of an FA Cup or League Cup for the first time since the 2004-05 season.

Especially with Brentford fielding a weakened lineup for the quarterfinal match owing to its busy upcoming schedule in the Championship, where the team is currently placed fourth. Among the six regulars dropped by the hosts was striker Ivan Toney, the top scorer in the second division with 16 goals, but they still dominated the match at the recently opened Brentford Community Stadium.

Josh Dasilva’s 66th-minute volley clinched victory for Brentford, which finally won at this stage of a cup competition at the fifth attempt.

“We want to be part of creating some totally new history for Brentford,” said manager Thomas Frank, whose team lost to Fulham in the Championship playoff final last season.

It’s back to a likely relegation scrap in the Premier League for Newcastle, whose manager Steve Bruce acknowledged it was a huge opportunity lost.

“I’m bitterly disappointed,” Bruce said, “and very, very frustrated.”

SLICK CITY

Rúnarsson was signed by Arsenal in September to be the team’s reserve goalkeeper, having finished last season as second choice for a Dijon team that finished in 16th place in the French league.

Facing City was his biggest test since moving — the Iceland international had previously only played in the Europa League for Arsenal — and it proved to be a chastening night at Emirates Stadium.

Barely two minutes had been played when Rúnarsson dived to punch clear a left-wing cross from Oleksandr Zinchenko, only for Gabriel Jesus to get in front of him and head the ball into an empty net.

Arsenal equalized against the run of play through Alexandre Lacazette. But after lively winger Gabriel Martinelli was forced off two minutes into the second half with an ankle injury, the hosts had another setback following Rúnarsson’s fumble.

“He hasn’t played a lot of games for us,” Arteta said of Rúnarsson. “He is just adapting to the league, and that’s it. We all make mistakes and we have to support him.”

Arteta defended his decision to give a rest to first-choice goalkeeper Bernd Leno, who played in the previous round at Liverpool and saved two penalties in a shootout.

“We have to give opportunities to other players,” Arteta said.

Foden might have been in an offside position when he was played through for the third goal, which saw him deftly chip Rúnarsson. VAR is not being used in the League Cup this season.

The midfielder then crossed for Laporte to head home to make it 4-1 in the 73rd minute.

“At the moment a lot of strange things are happening in every game,” Arteta said.

“We have to turn it around, there’s no other question. If we don’t, we are in big trouble.”