Man City OUT of Carabao Cup as Pep Guardiola sees first trophy of season slip away

In fairness, at least Tottenham fans actually wanted their team to win this time.

Six months ago, a ludicrous faction found solace in a home defeat by because it denied the title. The duplicity outraged Spurs messiah Ange Postecoglou, who branded it his “worst experience as a manager.”

But on a stirring night at the Hotspur Stadium, Postecoglou could have few complaints about the quality of a riveting cup tie. Even the loss of talisman Micky Van de Ven could not diminish the effervescence of Spurs’ attacking thrusts. Storming into a two-goal lead poked the bear, and City’s response was thrilling.

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But rich entertainment deserves to be played at a sensible hour, and on their crusade to make sure nobody gets the last bus home, Sky Sports drew a new line in the sand with their absurd designation of an 8.15pm kick-off.

And when the M25 was shut at the main gateway to north London before kick-off, thousands of fans faced another scramble to reach N17 like the chaos before last month’s game with Qarabag.

City made it through the gridlock, and in a competition which has brought him more joy as a manager (four winners’ medals) than any other apart from the , felt emboldened enough to make six changes.

But the trouble with changing half a team is that you often get a half-baked response, and City had not been allowed to settle before they fell behind after six minutes.

Brennan Johnson’s exquisite flick set Dejan Kulusevski free down the right flank and the Swede’s low cross was swept home first-time by Timo Werner.

It was a superb goal, only the German’s third in 26 appearances for Spurs, and his first of the season. Tottenham’s early momentum was stalled, however, by the loss of defensive kingpin Van de Ven with a hamstring injury.

The crowd favourite was fighting back tears after being forced to retire hurt. Spookily it was a year, almost to the day, that his hamstring gave way against in a madcap 4-1 home defeat.

But Spurs, biting in the tackle and moving the ball with purpose, made light of Van de Ven’s setback to surge 2-0 ahead inside 25 minutes. City were slow to close down a short corner routine and Pape Matar Sarr, lurking 25 yards out, whipped his shot inside Stefan Ortega’s near post.

If the City keeper was caught out, let’s give Sarr due credit for immaculate geometry: His effort started a yard outside the post and was only on target for the last 6ft of its flight path.

volleyed over from eight yards - a big chance, and he should have done better - as the champions finally pinned Spurs back around their own box. Tiring and increasingly in retreat, Tottenham were desperate to make it to the break with their two-goal cushion intact - but they fell seconds short.

In the fourth minute of aded time, Savinho’s darting run and cut-back picked out Matheus Nunes at the far post, and the Portugese forward’s assured finish provided Guardiola with a lifeline.

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But no sooner had City gained a foothold in the contest than another injury blow landed in Guardiola’s in-tray.

Savinho, who had given Destiny Udogie a guided tour of the visitors’ right flank, was carried off with a damaged right ankle, and Spurs Werner, running half the length of the pitch, fired agonisingly wide and Ortega - surely the best understudy in the country - made alert low saves to deny Johnson and Kulusevski.

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