Huddersfield 0-2 Manchester City: Pep Guardiola’s second XI enough to see out League One opposition
Manchester City eased into the fourth round of the Carabao Cup with a 2-0 win at Huddersfield, Phil Foden and Savinho providing the goals to see off the spirited League One side.
Pep Guardiola rotated heavily from the weekend draw with Arsenal, making nine changes.
Foden, playing as a false nine, was sharp and mostly at the centre of City’s best work. He soon opened the scoring after 18 minutes, when he played a quick give-and-go with the 18-year-old debutant Divine Mukasa before driving the ball hard and low into the bottom right corner.
The England international also created the second goal to put the tie to bed 15 minutes from time. He collected the ball on the penalty arc and slid a pass through a crowded box out on the left to Savinho, but the Brazilian still had a lot of work to do.
He pushed forward, almost to an acute angle, before pile-driving the ball off the underside of the crossbar and beyond goalkeeper Lee Nicholls.
City dominated possession and had many nice moments. Nico O’Reilly wasted a glorious chance to make it 2-0 in the second half. Oscar Bobb and Mukasa both also missed chances to stretch the lead.
Huddersfield spent the entire game working hard to contain the Premier League side, although they had a half-chances through Zepiqueno Redmond and captain Ben Wiles. Substitute Cameron Ashia came closest when he hit the post late on, but James Trafford kept his clean sheet on his return to the side.
Late on, Kalvin Phillips came off the bench for his first appearance for City since last December.
