Carabao Cup Final – Aston Villa vs Manchester City: Live score updates

CARABAO CUP FINAL, LIVE: Aston Villa 0-0 Manchester City – Pep Guardiola’s men look to retain their first trophy of the season at Wembley

• Aston Villa starting XI: Nyland, Guilbert, Engels, Mings, Elmohamady, Nakamba, Douglas Luiz, Targett, El Ghazi, Samatta, Grealish
• Aston Villa subs: Taylor, Lansbury, Hourihane, Konsa, Trezeguet, Reina, Davis.
• Manchester City starting XI: Bravo, Walker, Stones, Fernandinho, Zinchenko, Gundogan, Rodri, Silva, Sterling, Aguero, Foden
• Man City subs: Gabriel Jesus, De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Mendy, Mahrez, Otamendi, Ederson. 
• Aston Villa vs Man City’s Carabao Cup final clash takes place at 4:30pm GMT
• Pep Guardiola is looking to defend the title his side won this time last season

Host commentator

8min: City in thier Hacienda black away kit have been on the back foot so far but they start to force some pressure on Villa with two corners in the space of a minute. They fail to create a chance from either though.

6min: ‘Champions of Europe, you’ll never sing that’ Some good early point scoring from the Aston Villa fans at Wembley. Sunshine is creeping into the ground but only high up into the fans. The entire pitch is under shade – it is only the start of March I suppose.

3min: Chance for Villa! A ball clipped into the box is attacked well by Anwar El Ghazi but his header just loops over the bar. Not a sitter but he will be disappointed to not force Claudio Bravo into a save there.

Here is a reminder of the teams:

Aston Villa: Nyland, Guilbert, Engels, Mings, Elmohamady, Nakamba, Douglas Luiz, Targett, El Ghazi, Samatta, Grealish.
Subs: Taylor, Lansbury, Hourihane, Konsa, Trezeguet, Reina, Davis.

Man City: Bravo, Walker, Stones, Fernandinho, Zinchenko, Gundogan, Rodri, Silva, Sterling, Aguero, Foden.
Subs: Gabriel Jesus, De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Mendy, Mahrez, Otamendi, Ederson.

Referee: Lee Mason (Lancashire)

Less than 30 minutes to go now before the sides emerge from the tunnel and kick-off in the Carabao Cup final. 

Villa have a young side led by Grealish and will be determined to give their fans some joy after what has been a largely miserable campaign for those on the Holte End. 

For City, this *should* be routine. But nothing is certain in a final and taking Villa for granted could bite them. 

If there was one player Villa may have hoped would fall foul of Pep Guardiola’s ruthless rotation policy, it would have been Sergio Aguero. 

The Argentine striker score a hat-trick in that 6-1 rout earlier this season and always has a smile on his face – and a goal to his name – when City take on Villa. 

After he dropped to the bench for the game against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu in midweek, normal service resumes today with Aguero unleashed. 

Given his goalscoring rate, if he gets hot in front of goal it could get very messy. 

Guardiola’s defending champions are in the building and so no crazy delay or late arrival for City today. 

They are overwhelming favourites and are showing nothing close to nerves on arrival. Having beaten Real Madrid in midweek, confidence is sky high. 

Villa’s players are getting an early look at the surface and their fans are flocking to Wembley in big numbers right now. 

If their last meeting – the 6-1 mauling at Villa Park – is anything to go by this will be far from a happy occasion, though…

If I was Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Jurgen Klopp or Pep Guardiola, I would sign Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish… and FAST!

DANNY MURPHY: This is a golden period for dynamic English midfield players between the ages of 20 and 25. Jack Grealish, James Maddison, Mason Mount and Dele Alli should all be around the top of the game for the next decade.

But if I was Jurgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola or Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and had a choice of signing only one of them, it’d be Jack for me.

READ MURPHY’S COLUMN HERE.

For Dean Smith and Aston Villa, cult hero Jack Grealish will lead them out at Wembley.

Experienced goalkeeper Pep Reina is only good enough for a place on the bench while a lot of pressure will be placed on Tyrone Mings to martial City’s potent attack. 

A couple of real surprises in here by Pep Guardiola. 

Yes they have a deep squad. Yes they have lots of quality. 

But it remains a shock to see No 1 goalkeeper Ederson and star man Kevin De Bruyne starting this final on the bench. 

Claudio Bravo and Phil Foden are the beneficiaries of Pep’s rotation this afternoon. 

And the day has finally arrived for the 2020 Carabao Cup final, the one they all want to win. 

Sadly, only two will get the chance to lift it: Manchester City and Aston Villa. 

Follow me throughout the afternoon and early evening as I guide you through what transpires at Wembley. 

Manchester City defend their Carabao Cup title against Aston Villa in Sunday’s final at Wembley Stadium.

Pep Guardiola’s men will be looking to retain the League Cup and make it their third consecutive title win and six overall in the competition to put them one behind Liverpool overall.

Villa last won the competition in 1995/96 season as they look to pinch the title and join Liverpool in stripping Man City of their domestic dominance last year.

Sportsmail’s Dan Ripley will provide live EFL Cup coverage of Aston Villa vs Man City including score, lineups and build-up.

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