Bravo’s two penalty saves help Manchester City past Wolves

Claudio Bravo was the hero as Manchester City knocked a valiant Wolves out of the Carabao Cup in a penalty shootout.

Sergio Agüero’s coolly chipped spot-kick proved decisive but only because Bravo had first saved Alfred N’Diaye’s effort to his right, then Conor Coady’s to his left. Agüero had entered this tie hoping to claim a club-record 178th goal but was unable to convert several chances, so his penalty was a decent consolation.

Bravo’s display was also cathartic after he endured a disastrous debut season for City last year. While the Chilean is now second choice behind Ederson, he made a series of crucial saves here.

Each manager made nine changes. Of the XI who defeated Burnley 3-0 here on Saturday only Bernardo Silva and Agüero, the captain for this match, survived for City. For Wolves, Nuno Espírito Santo retained Danny Batth and Coady from the 3-2 weekend win against Preston.

Agüero’s search for the record began with him missing a gilt-edged chance. Raheem Sterling turned the ball where he would want and the usually lethal Argentinian fluffed the shot. Moments later Agüero was more menacing, smacking the ball at Will Norris’s goal, though it was always rising.

Nuno wanted to hit City on the break. The tactic was deployed early on when the centre-forward Bright Enobakhare dropped deep and curved a pass out along the right to Ben Marshall. The pace of the counterattack was a warning to Pep Guardiola’s men. A further example came when N’Diaye sprinted from midfield and at Bravo’s goal and the keeper had to scramble.

Before and after these chances City were the expected blue blur they have been in possession all season. Danilo, Silva, Sterling, Gabriel Jesus, and Ilkay Gündogan all took part in moments of dazzling interplay. On one occasion the latter’s quick feet took him all-but through Wolves before feeding Sterling, who should have hit the target, at least.

Wolves continued to probe when they could. Enobakhare chipped an attempt over after Ryan Bennett had headed straight at Bravo from a free-kick.

Towards the end of the half there was relief for City when Jesus was able to continue after taking a fall. There might also have been jubilation if a mesmeric move that featured Gündogan’s sweeping diagonal to Sterling, if only Agüero had finished with the sweetest of strikes. But, again, the No10 could not finish.

Just before the referee blew for the interval Eliaquim Mangala was spared some serious blushes when Enobakhare outmuscled him, the £42m defender saved by Bravo repelling the shot. Wolves had so far matched, in the main, City’s speed with a quickness of tackle and repositioning and this continued as the second half began. The sense was that if City breached Wolves the visitors might seriously tire. Agüero tried first with an early stab at Norris’s goal that went to his right. Jesus raced in but the move broke down.

There followed a passage of City camping deep inside Wolves territory. It meant when they lost the ball after 57 minutes the old gold shirts could break at pace. Enobakhare was again involved but when the ball was passed to Jack Price, the midfielder lost composure and blasted high over Bravo’s bar from 20 yards out.

Guardiola’s blueprint demands that each pass has to be precise as his players move forward in constricted areas. As the hour came and passed this eye-of-the-needle stuff was not happening, Wolves too often managing to get an awkward boot or limb to the ball.

When Yaya Touré dribbled an effort wide this was a fair summation of City on the night and they should have gone behind, if only Helder Costa had been cooler when in on Bravo.

Moments later Agüero was equally culpable. Norris fluffed a clearance and handed the ball to the forward, who should have struck the opener. By the latter stages City were stale and lacked the incisiveness that has been the major factor in their flying start to the campaign.

With eight minutes left Kevin De Bruyne was finally sent on, but before this Enobakhare again made a mug of Mangala though he dallied and Tosin Adarabioyo could clear. City now pinned Wolves back but when Enobakhare raced clear at the death he again made a hash of his chance to be the hero.