Aymeric Laporte hails ‘superb’ Man City after ‘deserved’ Carabao Cup final win

The defender nodded in the winner to keep City’s dominant run in the competition going

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Match-winner Aymeric Laporte was delighted to make the decisive contribution as Manchester City clinched a fourth successive League Cup win.

The Frenchman, whom Tottenham felt could have been sent off earlier in the game, nodded in from a corner 10 minutes from time at Wembley as City beat Spurs 1-0 to claim a Carabao Cup final victory their superiority fully deserved.

Laporte told Sky Sports: “We are so happy to win this title again. We lost in the FA Cup, so it is something good for us to get confidence and to keep going like we have done in the last few months.

“We have been so, so good and we have to keep this rhythm, this way to win more titles.”

Laporte added: “It was difficult because they (Tottenham) are a good team. It’s never easy to play against a team like that. Today, we were superb.

“We did very well, so we are very happy to win today and to win this trophy as well.”

Man of the match Riyad Mahrez praised City’s focus in a tight contest.

He said: “It was a tough game - we knew it was going to be tough. We stayed focused, we kept dominating, we kept passing the ball and then scored. I think we deserved to win today.

“Obviously you are always scared because they are a good team, but we were very confident in our game and it’s a very good win. We get the trophy again and we are very happy.”

Asked why the club were so dominant in the competition, Mahrez added: “I don’t know. Like the manager said, we just focus in every competition we play.

“Today was a final - in finals, you have to win. Whether you play good or not, you have to win, and today we played good and we won.”

For midfielder Fernandinho, it was a sixth League Cup success, but a first as captain.

He said: “I feel very good. It’s the first time I’ve lifted a trophy at City, so it’s an amazing sensation.

“We deserved to win that game today because we went from the first minute to try to score a goal, created some chances and, at the end of the road, the game has been decided by a set-piece.”

PA