And with that, I’m done. Bye!
It's two Manchester derbies in the semi-finals!
The semi-final draw has been done, and it looks like this (with the team named first at home in the first leg):
Manchester United v Manchester City
Leicester City v Aston Villa
The semi-final draw is slightly more imminent than it was previously. While you wait, here’s Paul Wilson’s report on Leicester’s shootout-based victory over Everton:
The semi-final draw is imminent. While you wait, here’s Jamie Jackson’s report on Manchester United’s win over Colchester:
Karl Robinson has a chat:
I can’t believe I’m saying this. Yeah, frustrated. Never in a month of Sundays would I expect to come out and say that. i thought we were disciplined, we took them on in a game that they’re best at, we showed tremendous bravery for a team so young. I’m very pleased with the players but I’m sure my last thought when I close my eyes tonight will be what could have been.
What was lacking?
Good finishing, that’s it. I don’t think their goalkeeper made a good save. I thought everything went straight at him. I don’t think we quite believed they were going to drop for us. I said before the game, I hope all our fans can wake up in the morning, go to work or school and say I was happy with Oxford last night.
What did Guardiola say at the final whistle?
I think Pep was relatively surprised by our style. It’ll be something that I’ll never forget.
Here’s Ben Fisher’s match report:
Manchester City will continue to fight on four fronts after victory over Oxford earned Pep Guardiola’s side passage to the Carabao Cup semi-finals for the third successive season. City had to battle for the win and are digging their heels in over Mikel Arteta, the assistant coach who is expected to be appointed Arsenal’s next manager. Arteta travelled to Oxford and was on the bench here but City are furious with Arsenal’s conduct, insisting the club have made no formal approach for the Spaniard. City, who have won this competition for the past two years, dominated for large spells but Oxford made them sweat in the second half as Guardiola’s experimental side held on.
Raheem Sterling, who operated as a striker here as Guardiola rested several players, displayed a poacher’s instinct, twice applying the finishing touches inside the six-yard box after Oxford cancelled out João Cancelo’s opener immediately after the restart through their striker Matty Taylor. Oxford almost made things interesting late on but City, who have not lost in this competition since defeat to Manchester United in October 2016, held on for victory.
Much more here:
Pep Guardiola has a chat. He doesn’t get excited by Sterling’s goals – “it doesn’t matter who scored” – and says he doesn’t know anything about Mikel Arteta’s intentions.
It was a tight game. We struggled with the wind, and we played against a good side. Congratulations for the team, for the young players and for the victory. It’s tough. The competition itself now, with four good semi-final teams. Delighted to be again in the semi-finals of the competition. We suffered a lot in the second half for a period of 20 minutes after the 2-1, because they played a lot of long-balls with throw-ins, corners and we struggled. It’s OK. We knew it before we came here.
Sky get Taylor Harwood-Bellis to give Raheem Sterling his man of the match award. Sterling hands it straight back, insisting the 17-year-old played better than he did.
Leicester are in the semi-finals! They went 2-0 up, were pegged back with a last-gasp wonderstrike from Leighton Baines, but made easy work of the penalty shoot-out, winning 4-2.
At Goodison Park, Kasper Schmeichel has saved the first two penalties he’s faced, and Leicester lead 2-1 after three apiece.
Oxford had 18 shots, and five on target with six corners. City had 18 shots, six on target and six corners. No team has had more shots against City since Pep Guardiola took over. Incredible statistics.
Mackie and Cancelo, who instigated a bit of a late rumpus, seek each other out at the final whistle, have a chat, and hug it out. That’s the spirit.
Final score: Oxford United 1-3 Manchester City
90+4 mins: It’s all over! City win, but Oxford were really very good.
90+2 mins: Just seen that Baines goal. An absolute rocket, which flew unstoppably into the top corner!
90+1 mins: Meanwhile at Goodison Park, Everton have equalised in stoppage time! It’s Leighton Baines, from long range.
90+1 mins: Into stoppage time, of which there’ll be about three minutes. Sykes gets down the right, but his low centre is cut out.
88 mins: Another save from Bravo! This time a long ball from the right finds Fosu on the left, who does well to control it, better to beat his man and get into the area, and then tries a shot from a really very unpromising angle, which is duly stopped.
87 mins: Oxford make their final change, replacing Shandon Baptiste with John Mousinho.
85 mins: And another! A left-wing cross finds Sykes, but he’s too cautious with his volley and it too goes straight to Bravo! This is tremendous from Oxford, but they can’t find a finish!
84 mins: And another! Gorrin flicks on to Mackie, who spins and lashes a volley over the bar!
82 mins: Another chance for Oxford! They win a corner, and this one comes down in the middle of the penalty area where Dickie wins the header, but with the goal gaping he sends the ball straight to Bravo!
81 mins: Handbags! Cancelo pushes his left leg out into Mackie’s path, Mackie kicks it out of his way, and everyone gets quite annoyed about it.
80 mins: Now they get a chance! Brannagan lays off to Fosu, just to the left of goal, but his shot is blocked.
77 mins: Oxford have not done much attacking since they went 2-1 down, and none at all since they conceded a third. Meanwhile in Manchester, United go 3-0 up against Colchester, Martial tapping in with Rashford again involved, this time as creator.
76 mins: And in further substitutional news, Adrian Bernabe comes on for City, replacing Sterling.
75 mins: A change in attack for Oxford, with Jamie Mackie coming on for Taylor.
74 mins: Another goal at Old Trafford, where Ryan Jackson has turned the ball into his own net rather than let it run to Rashford. It’s Manchester United 2-0 Colchester now.
73 mins: Nearly a fourth for City, as Cancelo thunders in a rising drive from an acute angle that slaps the post and rebounds out of play.
72 mins: There’s been another goal at Goodison Park, Tom Davies giving Everton a foothold in the game at 1-2.
71 mins: Bernardo Silva dinks the ball into the path of Jesus, who runs down the left and then squares for Sterling, who helps himself to another tap-in.
GOAL! Oxford United 1-3 Man City (Sterling, 70 mins)
Oxford press, City break and that’s surely the game!
Updated
67 mins: Manchester United have finally found a way through Colchester, Rashford scoring in the 51st minute.
66 mins: Mahrez is played in by Gundogan, and lifts the ball past Archer and in, but he was a couple of yards offside.
65 mins: Brannagan overhits another set piece, this time a corner. Fosu controls it at the far edge of the penalty area, and shoots over the bar.
63 mins: Brannagan’s right-footed cross from the left bounces out of play, but it was really quite close both to being converted by Taylor and to curling in at the back stick.
62 mins: The corner is headed to the edge of the area, from where it’s volleyed wide. City make a second change, with Gabriel Jesus coming on for Angelino.
61 mins: Oxford are peppering the City box with crosses, and the occasional long throw. City have dealt with them all, but not with any great comfort. Now Fosu has a shot! It’s from the left side of the area, and Bravo tips it over the bar!
59 mins: City make their first change, bringing Gundogan on for Rodri.
58 mins: For the second time in this half, a long, high ball into City’s area provokes a bit of panic. Again, the ball ends up in the hands of Bravo.
57 mins: The night’s first substitution sees Mark Sykes replace Dan Agyei.
54 mins: The game seems much more open in this half (hence the sudden goal flurry). Zinchenko’s 25-yarder whistles across goal and a yard or so wide of the far post.
GOAL! Oxford United 1-2 Manchester City (Sterling, 51 mins)
A gorgeous cross from Angelino on the left, and Sterling runs between the two centre-halves and taps it in!
Updated
50 mins: A cross from the left, and instead of catching it Archer flaps it miserably into the thick of the penalty area and straight to a City player, whose volley is blocked!
49 mins: When Baptiste set up the equaliser with a quick free-kick, the ball was moving – so the goal could/should have been disallowed.
48 mins: Mahrez blasts a low cross from the right across the goalline, but there’s nobody there to turn it in!
47 mins: Oxford win a free-kick just inside City’s half and take it quickly, sliding in Taylor on the right. He cuts inside, knocking the ball through Harwood-Bellis’s legs, and then from 12 yards thumps a left-footed shot past Bravo!
GOAL! Oxford United 1-1 Manchester City (Taylor, 46 mins)
Oxford equalise within 25 seconds of the restart!
Updated
46 mins: The players are back out, and Oxford get the second half started!
It has been slightly disappointing so far: one deflected goal, no team consistently threatening, a lot of turnovers in midfield. But Oxford remain in the match, and for as long as that’s the case, there’s hope that this might yet turn into a stonker.
Elsewhere, it’s Everton 0-2 Leicester at the break, and the first half between Manchester United and Colchester United is nearly over, and goalless. Colchester, who have already eliminated Crystal Palace and Tottenham on penalties, will be delighted with that.
Half time: Oxford United 0-1 Manchester City
45+2 mins: Angelino ends the half by driving in something that might be a terrible cross or an even worse shot, from wide on the left. It’s half-time, City have created little and they hold a slightly fortunate lead.
45 mins: They go for a cross, and again Brannagan overhits a set piece. Dickie just about keeps it in, but is offside.
45 mins: Ruffels does cross this time, and it’s a pretty good one. City half-clear, but then Mahrez fouls Taylor and Oxford will have a chance to shoot or cross.
Updated
42 mins: Oxford break in numbers. City have defenders on hand to track the runners, and after carrying the ball to within 30 yards of goal Taylor decides a long-range shot would be a better bet than a pass through to, say, Fosu, and spears an effort well over the bar.
39 mins: Shot! Mahrez picks up the ball on the right, cuts into the area, cuts back onto his right foot and then sends a shot towards the near post. Archer pretty clearly fingertipped it onto the outside of the post, but it’ll be a goal kick.
35 mins: Ruffels gets the ball in a decent position on the left wing for Oxford, but instead of driving into the box, or crossing with his left foot, he checks back onto his right, passes the ball back 40 yards, the ball goes back again to a centre-back, and the attack is over.
32 mins: Chance for City! Bernardo Silva plays Sterling in, and he lifts the ball over the advancing Archer, but it goes well wide.
31 mins: So far at Old Trafford, Colchester have had 22% of possession and no shots (United have had five) or corners (three).
30 mins: Leicester have scored a second, Jonny Evans heading in a corner. Manchester United v Colchester remains goalless.
29 mins: In one of the night’s two other Carabao Cup tie, James Maddison has given Leicester a 1-0 lead at Everton.
Updated
25 mins: That is all a bit harsh. Oxford had played pretty well, threatened occasionally and defended excellently, and to go behind to a deflected shot will hurt. But they did give Cancelo an outlandish amount of space on City’s right flank.
GOAL! Oxford 0-1 Man City (Cancelo, 22 mins)
Mahrez moves infield, leaving a ludicrous amount of space on the right wing for Cancelo to burst into. Burst into it he does, and he keeps bursting until he reaches the Oxford penalty area. He does in the end run out of space and ideas, and so lashes in a shot from an unpromising angle, which takes a convenient deflection off Moore, floats past Archer and in!
Updated
21 mins: Oxford send the goal kick back with interest, and Fosu wins a corner. Brannagan very nearly sends this one over everybody and out for a goal-kick as well, and though it’s eventually kept in they can’t make anything of it.
20 mins: A bit of pressure from Oxford, who after a decent start had fallen onto the back foot. Fosu wins a free-kick out on the left wing, and Brannagan lifts it over everybody and out for a goal-kick.
Updated
18 mins: Ooof! Sterling gets the ball on the edge of the area, but there’s no shot on so he lifts it to Mahrez to his right. He volleys the ball across goal and Sterling would have had a tap-in but for Dickie’s alertness and his excellent clearance, when he could well have sent it into his own net.
16 mins: Sterling has the ball in the net, but the offside flag is up, the whistle has blown and everybody else has stopped playing. A replay suggests it was a very tight call.
14 mins: A nice move from City ends with Angelino on the left, but his run is tracked and his cross deflected out for a corner, which is eventually cleared.
12 mins: City are yet to make their superiority tell, or even to make it particularly evident. Foden surges down the left, but is forced to turn back, and the ball is eventually turned over.
9 mins: A pass over the defence sends Sterling sprinting, but the only way past Dickie is by pulling his shirt, and Oxford get a free-kick.
Updated
8 mins: Angelino takes on Sam Long on the left. The ball ends up deflecting out off Long’s fist, but the referee gives a goal kick.
6 mins: Sterling lifts his shot over the wall, over the goal and into the fans, who cheer uproariously.
6 mins: Sterling is fouled by Gorrin, 30 yards or so from goal. Shot incoming.
Updated
4 mins: Oxford now break forward, and win the first corner of the game. It’s headed clear.
2 mins: Angelino’s cross from the left is a little overstrong, and Mahrez can’t bring it under his spell. Oxford clear.
1 min: Peeeeeeep! Manchester City get the game started.
Not silence, applause. Oxford’s fans stand and clap, and then the referee blows his whistle and they give a final roar. Kick-off time!
There will be a minute’s silence before kick-off for Jim Smith, the former Oxford manager.
And out they come! It’s windy and rainy, but Oxford might need more levellers than that. Action imminent.
The players are in the tunnel! It looks a bit cramped in there, so they’ll be keen to get going.
Karl Robinson has a chat about Oxford’s prospects this evening. In brief: not great.
You always have a puncher’s chance. Not a strong one. Listen, you can stand here and say you have a great chance or a rubbish chance. The gulf between the teams is glaringly obvious but we enjoy the challenge and embrace the opportunity to play against one of the best teams in the land. This is going to be as difficult as it gets. The way we try to play, we have a big pitch, a nice pitch, a flat pitch, and for once this season it probably isn’t going to work in our favour.
I love [Pep’s] style. It’s something I do gravitate towards. Only our players maybe aren’t as good, and the manager’s nowhere near as good. You’d be lying if you said he wasn’t somebody who’s at the top of the tree when it comes to our industry.
Mikel Arteta, as confirmed by Pep Guardiola yesterday, is in Oxford this evening. If the pictures are anything to go by, he seems to have a lot on his mind.
Here are the teams again, this time in purely textual form.
Oxford United: Archer, Long, Moore, Dickie, Ruffels, Baptiste, Gorrin, Brannagan, Agyei, Taylor, Fosu. Subs: Cadden, Hall, Jack Stevens, Mousinho, Henry, Sykes, Mackie.
Man City: Bravo, Joao Cancelo, Garcia, Harwood-Bellis, Jose Angelino, Zinchenko, Rodri, Foden, Bernardo Silva, Sterling, Mahrez. Subs: Gundogan, Gabriel Jesus, Mendy, Otamendi, Carson, Bernabe, Dionkou.
Referee: Andrew Madley.
The teams!
The team sheets are in! City have an inexperienced central defence, composed as it is of 17-year-old Taylor Harwood-Bellis and 18-year-old Eric García (both have birthdays next month). The rest of the team, though, is pretty familiar. As rumoured, the returning Oleksandr Zinchenko and Angelino both play.
Here it is... your #OUFC team to take on @ManCity in tonight's @Carabao_Cup quarter-final at the Kassam Stadium: pic.twitter.com/v4Hcvyq8EO
— Oxford United FC (@OUFCOfficial) December 18, 2019
And here it is, your team for tonight! 📋
— Manchester City (@ManCity) December 18, 2019
XI | Bravo, Cancelo, Garcia, Harwood-Bellis, Angeliño, Rodrigo, Zinchenko, Foden, Bernardo, Mahrez, Sterling (C)
SUBS | Carson, Gundogan, Jesus, Mendy, Otamendi, Bernabe, Diounkou
⚽️ @HaysWorldwide
🔵 #ManCity pic.twitter.com/O98HbqPXs6
Hello world!
Manchester City’s two previous line-ups in this competition have been, from Oxford’s perspective at least, distressingly strong. Claudio Bravo has started in goal each time, though a 36-year-old with three league winners’ medals and a Champions League to his name can hardly be considered gauche, while 18-year-old Eric García played both games at centre-back – one alongside Taylor Harwood-Bellis, who is only 17 – and the similarly youthful midfielder Tommy Doyle got a start in the 3-1 home win against Southampton in the fourth round. Otherwise is has been first-teamers all the way, and two straightforward victories – they were 3-0 up at half-time against Preston in the first, 2-0 at half-time against the Saints in the second. Going a little further back, they won 3-0 at the Kassam Stadium last September, a game so one-sided that the home side had no shots on target and only one of any type, to City’s 18. It was probably unnecessary for the Oxford manager, Karl Robinson, to warn fans not to “expect us to come out of the traps to be all energy and dominating”, even if his side have only lost once in the last three months (though that was on Saturday, at MK Dons).
Still, where there’s life there’s hope. “People might laugh at me, but I believe we can win. I’m not just saying that,” says Oxford’s Cameron Brannagan. “We’ll go into the game confident and with the ability we’ve got we can hurt anyone. At the end of the day it’s you versus him. The price tag might be a bit different and they might get a little bit more money than we do, but that’s it, there’s nothing else in it. I honestly believe we can do it.”
Time will tell, and not much of it either. Let’s share it together, shall we? In the meantime here’s Ben Fisher’s preview:
When Oxford United and Manchester City collide on Wednesday, entertainment is unlikely to be in short supply. In the manager’s office at the League One club’s Kassam Stadium, the E-word is the buzzword as Karl Robinson explains how he is looking forward to a reunion with Pep Guardiola, this time in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.
Only West Brom and Peterborough have outscored Oxford in the Football League this season and, in the top flight, only Leicester, Liverpool and City have a healthier goals-for tally. Oxford have not found the net in their past three matches but perhaps they are keeping their powder dry.
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