It feels like a long time since the days when Manchester City dominated the Carabao Cup.
Between 2014 and 2021, the Citzyens lifted the trophy on six different occasions, but Pep Guardiola’s side have not made it past the quarter-finals since their last triumph. Wednesday’s 2-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur ensured that won’t change this season.
Injuries are beginning to wreak havoc on one of the most talented teams in football and Guardiola was forced to make wholesale changes to his starting eleven in north London. This did not help the cohesion of the team, but some players have no excuse for their poor performances.
With the help of our player ratingshere were Man City’s best and worst players in their defeat at Spurs.
Matheus Nunes: 8/10
Matheus Nunes appeared to be a rare misjudgment of the Man City recruiting staff after an underwhelming debut campaign. However, the Portuguese has shown signs of life in recent weeks and hit a purple patch at the right time to ease Guardiola’s fitness woes.
Nunes started in his new role on the left of a front three on Wednesday and added to the goal and three assists he had produced in his previous two outings against Sparta Prague and Southampton.
The Portuguese is a confident ball carrier and was an important outing for City despite their generally disjointed display. He handled his goal well, keeping his foot on the ball to avoid shooting high over the crossbar, and finished the game with more touches (91) than any other player.
Honorable Mention
Savinho: 8/10
Savinho is truly a joy to watch regardless of whether Man City win or lose. The energetic Brazilian provided the assist for Nunes’ effort, picking out the former Wolverhampton Wanderers man at the far post after beating Destiny Udogie for speed.
He got a set of six touches in the spurs box and was a constant threat down the right. Unfortunately for him and Guardiola, he left the field on a stretcher in tears just after the hour mark and could be sidelined for the foreseeable future.
Ilkay Gundogan: 4/10
Ilkay Gundogan’s return to Manchester was celebrated but the aging German has struggled to replicate the performances that made him an icon at the Etihad Stadium. Wednesday’s dismal display highlighted that this is no longer the Gundogan of old.
Substituted at half-time after a blistering first half in which he almost gifted Timo Werner a second goal of the game with a wayward pass, Gundogan invaded the center of the park and found himself constantly chasing the more agile and youthful midfielders of the Spurs.
dishonorable mention
Phil Foden: 5/10
Phil Foden’s campaign launch continued on Wednesday. The 2023/24 Premier League Player of the Season was used in the new role to replace the unused Erling Haaland, but struggled to make a noticeable impact at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
He managed just 25 touches before being pulled early and swept away in the promising moments that came his way. Leading the line is obviously not his preferred role for Man City, but he didn’t even put in an acceptable performance at the top.
