London: Manchester City continued their imperious start to the season with a 2-1 win over Swansea City to reach the fourth round of the League Cup, Wednesday but it was a testing night for rivals United who eventually overcame Northampton Town 3-1.
Holders City, who have won two of the last three League Cups, clinched a ninth straight win in all competitions under Pep Guardiola as goals from Gael Clichy and 19-year-old Aleix Garcia helped them through an all-Premier League encounter at the Liberty Stadium.
It was far less straightforward for United, who were pegged back and frustrated by third tier Northampton before goals from Ander Herrera and Marcus Rashford wrapped up the win.
The two Manchester rivals were then paired against each other in the fourth round draw that also pitched Liverpool against Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United against Chelsea.
Tottenham made light work of third tier Gillingham, romping to a 5-0 victory, while West Ham needed a 96th-minute free kick from Dimitri Payet to beat Accrington Stanley 1-0.
City and United both began the season strongly but while Guardiola’s side have gone from strength to strength United’s good early form has disappeared and they came into the clash against Northampton on the back of three straight defeats.
City looked in control of their tie against Swansea from the start and took the lead when Clichy ended a flowing move with a right-footed effort four minutes after half time. When Garcia steered home Jesus Navas’s cross midway through the second half the tie was effectively done and dusted although Swansea scored a stoppage-time consolation through Gylfi Sigurdsson.
It was a different story at Northampton’s tiny Sixfields stadium, where United dominated the ball but looked edgy and nervous after Michael Carrick’s powerful opener was cancelled out by Alex Revell’s penalty just before half time.
The home side then frustrated the visitors with a resilient defensive display until Herrera lifted the tension for United’s travelling fans with a rifled effort from distance and Rashford capitalised on a goalkeeping blunder to walk the ball into the net.
“It was difficult as I was expecting but we looked to be in control for the first 35 minutes and then we looked to be in control for the last 45,” United boss Jose Mourinho told ‘Sky Sports’.
Reuters