Some say you should go with your heart over your willy. Manuel Pellegrini says you should do the opposite.
‘I would rather lose the cup final than lose my word,’ said the boss before this weekend’s highly anticipated fixture at Wembley. The Chilean has been labelled as the ‘charming man’ since his appointment in 2013 and since then he has fulfilled everything associated with that tag. His decision to start Willy Caballero in goal ahead of Joe Hart for the Capital One Cup final victory over Liverpool was met with a flurry of raised eyebrows, but it was only fair that the Argentine was given an opportunity to carry on his cup flourish with yet another appearance.
And wow did it pay off.
Hugely criticised by City fans in recent weeks for lacklustre displays and dodgy handling, Caballero ended up being the hero for the Blues with a trio of fine shootout saves to send City on their way to a second League Cup success in two years. You just couldn’t script that, could you?
There were plenty of reasons why a cup win would be delightfully sweet from a blue perspective. Perhaps it was the geographical rivalry making this one extra spicy; the painful 4-1 defeat in the league deserving some sort of recompense; or the want for Manuel Pellegrini to end his terms with City on a high, and propel an unlikely Premier League title bid into dizzied heights once again. Whatever it was, this victory was sweet. City’s trophy cabinet is looking nicely laid out after those years of hurt; the Blues find themselves in a great position in the Champions League; and our capability of putting a strong run together could help us climb the league as the season enters its latter stages. Who knows?
Mixed emotions were in order on a pivotal day in Citys, and Manuel Pellegrini’s history. Would the manager be able to put the distracting and imperious Guardiola shadow to one side and lead the Blues to a third major honour under his tenure? Would Liverpool yet again find a way to dismantle City as they did in the league some months before? Or would there be some kind of revenge in order to make victory all that more sweet? And would Phillipe Coutinho score against us AGAIN?
Against the run of play, the latter did happen, but these were all questions being asked that were eventually answered in nail-biting and incredible fashion.
As my fellow writer Jonathan Cowley kindly reminded me, being a City fan does require you being at least half a mile away from the nearest hospital facilities. It is scientifically proven that being a blue means there is a 100% chance that you will suffer a heart attack, and/or a cardiac arrest. This fact, albeit rather far-fetched, did come true once again on Sunday afternoon as City had three or four wonderful opportunities to put the game to bed, but only found themselves just a goal to the good as the clock ticked agonisingly slow. These rued chances, together with a bottled decision from that man Michael Oliver to deny Sergio Aguero a stonewall penalty, meant it was the same old story for the Blues as the possibility of Liverpool scoring with only their first shot on target, horribly likely.
We were made to pay for these missed chances as the Reds did exactly that, with familiar foe Phillipe Coutinho firing a loose ball home after Adam Lallana had hit the post. At this point, you really knew you were a City fan. The red and white scarves were being waved and your heart sunk, but, as we know more than anyone, we are more than capable of fighting until the end and after a breathless period of extra-time, penalties loomed.
As I scrolled up my Twitter feed, there were endless Blues venting their feelings in 140 characters or less; all of them with the same point. How the hell has this gone to a shoot-out?
But a spot-kick settlement it was and it, ironically, came down to that man Willy Caballero, to ensure Liverpool did not snatch the win from under our noses and send the red half of Wembley into euphoria.
An Emre Can chip and a Fernandinho miss gave Liverpool an early advantage, with the Reds winning their last four of five shoot-outs, but the Blues lacking experience after more than five years without being involved in one. The omens were not with us.
But step up Willy Caballero. Adam Lallana, Phillipe Coutinho (ha), and Lucas all fell victim to a keeper just looking to prove his critics wrong, and his manager right. With the help of the composed heads of Jesus Navas, Sergio Aguero, and ultimately, Yaya Toure, City were able to divert an over-the-top Jurgen Klopp celebration and claim the cup for themselves.
Something they should have done in normal time. But we all know it’s never easy being a City fan.
