Manchester City 0-0 Wolves (4-1 pens): Claudio Bravo the hero as Pep Guardiola's side win on penalties to move into Carabao Cup last eight

  • In a scoreless first half Manchester City had 73 per cent possession but only two shots on target
  • Sergio Aguero needed just a single goal to become City's all-time record scorer but failed to score
  • Wolves had chances of their own to win the game with Bright Enobakhare and Helder Costa going close
  • In the shootout Claudio Bravo saved two successive Wolves' efforts to set up Aguero to dink home the winner

Advertisement

Sergio Aguero struck the winner, a cheeky little Panenka too, but that record is still not his alone just yet.

The little Argentine spurned enough chances at the Etihad to claim his 178th goal for Manchester City and the outright honour as the club's leading scorer of all-time.

As it was, Aguero and City were grateful to their reserve goalkeeper Claudio Bravo for denying Championship leaders Wolves a shock victory with three point-blank saves in normal time and two more in the penalty shoot-out.


Forgotten man Claudio Bravo came out of the shadows to save Manchester City from Carabao Cup fourth round elimination

Forgotten man Claudio Bravo came out of the shadows to save Manchester City from Carabao Cup fourth round elimination

Bravo saved Alfred N'Diaye's spot kick before keeping Conor Coady's effort to put his side en route to victory

Bravo saved Alfred N'Diaye's spot kick before keeping Conor Coady's effort to put his side en route to victory

Bravo saved two penalties in the shootout to allow Sergio Aguero, who had missed several chances, to chip home the winner

Bravo saved two penalties in the shootout to allow Sergio Aguero, who had missed several chances, to chip home the winner

Wolves midfielder Coady makes his way back to his team-mates after seeing his penalty saved by Bravo in the shootout

Wolves midfielder Coady makes his way back to his team-mates after seeing his penalty saved by Bravo in the shootout

City's relieved players celebrate after seeing Aguero's kick to put them into the last eight of the Carabao Cup

City's relieved players celebrate after seeing Aguero's kick to put them into the last eight of the Carabao Cup

MATCH FACTS AND RATINGS

Manchester City (3-4-3): Bravo 8; Danilo 6 (Walker 102), Mangala 5, Adarabioyo 6 (Stones 91), Zinchenko 6; B Silva 6.5 (Sane 94), Toure 6.5, Gundogan 7; Sterling 7, Aguero 6, Gabriel Jesus 5.5 (De Bruyne 82)

Subs not used: Ederson, Delph, Nmecha

Bookings: Toure 

Manager: Pep Guardiola 6 

Wolverhampton (3-4-3): Norris 7.5; Bennett 7, Batth 7, Coady 6.5, Hause 7.5, Vinagre 6; Marshall 6 (Ronan 73), Price 6.5, N'Diaye 6.5, Costa 6 (Cavaleiro 79, 6); Enobakhare 6 (Bonatino 91)

Subs not used: Burgoyne, Doherty, Miranda, Deslandes

Bookings: Bennett, Price 

Manager: Nuno Espirito Santo 7.5

Referee: Kevin Friend 7

Star man: Bravo

Advertisement

The Chile international has faced his fair share of flak since arriving in England, but he was man of the match here on a night when City dominated. It was that kind of game. No wonder Bravo punched the air after saving back-to-back penalties from Alfred N'Diaye and Conor Coady.

Aguero stepped forward and claimed the goal he had been denied in open play to send City through to the quarter-finals, but it doesn't count towards his record total.

'Sooner or later he will score,' said manager Pep Guardiola. 'He'll do it next game. Relax guys, he'll break the record.

'It's going to happen. He doesn't need 50 more. He needs one goal.'

Curiously, Guardiola blamed the Mitre match ball for Aguero's misses and a goalless draw. 

How this game finished without a goal for either side is anyone's guess. But you have to give enormous credit to a weakened Wolves team for the way they held City at bay and then so nearly broke out to snatch victory.

Guardiola's side have swept aside some of the best club that England, and indeed Europe, have to offer in a barnstorming start to the season.

Wolves dug in and slugged it out with City better than any Premier League or Champions League opposition have done so far.

Their defenders threw their bodies in the way time and time again. When that wasn't enough, goalkeeper Will Norris was in top form.

The meeting between the leaders of the Premier League and Championship had brought together a City team that had scored 32 goals in nine games this season against a Wolves side with 24 in 13.

Well sort of, anyway. Both clubs made nine changes from their line-ups at the weekend, once again using this competition to rest players and limit the risk of unnecessary injuries. 

A squirrel on the pitch provided some entertainment ahead of the Carabao Cup clash but not for the official who it bit

A squirrel on the pitch provided some entertainment ahead of the Carabao Cup clash but not for the official who it bit

Ilkay Gundogan made just his second start of the season for City against the Championship leaders at the Etihad Stadium

Ilkay Gundogan made just his second start of the season for City against the Championship leaders at the Etihad Stadium

Brazilian defender Danilo was another to get a chance in the cup game, here he fires at goal only to see Alfred N'Diaye block it

Brazilian defender Danilo was another to get a chance in the cup game, here he fires at goal only to see Alfred N'Diaye block it

Oleksandr Zinchenko evades a sliding Helder Costa as the Ukrainian international makes his City debut starting at left back

Oleksandr Zinchenko evades a sliding Helder Costa as the Ukrainian international makes his City debut starting at left back

Pep Guardiola named a strong front unit featuring Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus but they were frustrated in the first half

Pep Guardiola named a strong front unit featuring Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus but they were frustrated in the first half

Bernardo Silva got a chance against Wolves but did not grab the game by the scruff of the neck in the opening period

Bernardo Silva got a chance against Wolves but did not grab the game by the scruff of the neck in the opening period

In City's case, that hardly seemed to matter. Guardiola could still call on £200million worth of talent as Gabriel Jesus, Yaya Toure, Raheem Sterling, Danilo, Eliaquim Mangala, Ilkay Gundogan and Bravo came into the team that started against Burnley here on Saturday, while Oleksandr Zinchenko made his debut at left back.

By the end, he had beefed it up by sending on Kevin De Bruyne, Leroy Sane and Kyle Walker, but still Wolves wouldn't yield.

Aguero certainly seemed in a hurry to claim the record-breaking goal after going level with Eric Brook on 177 at the weekend.

He had three efforts inside the opening quarter of an hour, the best of them swept wide of the far post when Sterling's low cross found him unmarked on the penalty spot. 

Aguero has an attempt saved by Wolves' Will Norris in a first half that saw City dominate possession but struggle to create

Aguero has an attempt saved by Wolves' Will Norris in a first half that saw City dominate possession but struggle to create

Bright Enobakhare tested Claudio Bravo in the City goal on a rare Wolves foray, forcing the keeper to make a smart stop

Bright Enobakhare tested Claudio Bravo in the City goal on a rare Wolves foray, forcing the keeper to make a smart stop

Wolves star Costa looks to evade Zinchenko as the pair continued their battle during the Carabao Cup contest

Wolves star Costa looks to evade Zinchenko as the pair continued their battle during the Carabao Cup contest

Bravo had to be on his toes to deny Costa when the Portuguese got in behind but suffered an unfortunate bobble

Bravo had to be on his toes to deny Costa when the Portuguese got in behind but suffered an unfortunate bobble

Guardiola would have been pulling his hair out, if he had any, as he watched on from the touchline at the Etihad

Guardiola would have been pulling his hair out, if he had any, as he watched on from the touchline at the Etihad

Norris denied him with a couple of fine saves but too many attempts were straight at the Wolves keeper or well off target.

At one point in the second half, Aguero looked to have cracked it when he seized on a poor back-pass and went round Norris who stuck out a fingertip to touch the ball away from City's No.10.

You could understand why Aguero sank to his knees in frustration in the teeming rain when he broke forward in the 120th minute and fired straight at the keeper again. He wasn't the only culprit. Sterling, Sane and Bernardo Silva all had a clear sight of goal but failed to convert.

For 43 minutes, Wolves' only attempt on goal of note came from Ryan Bennett who rose above Ilkay Gundogan at the far post and forced Bravo to pluck the ball out of the air with a header after Mangala had been penalised for a clumsy challenge on Helder Costa. 

Aguero was looking to become Manchester City's all-time record scorer but squandered a couple of decent chances

Aguero was looking to become Manchester City's all-time record scorer but squandered a couple of decent chances

Claudio Bravo was the hero for Manchester City as he made a number of vital saves to deny Wolves and take it to extra time

Claudio Bravo was the hero for Manchester City as he made a number of vital saves to deny Wolves and take it to extra time

Late on in normal time Raheem Sterling has a big chance to score but could only fire wide when well placed to shoot

Late on in normal time Raheem Sterling has a big chance to score but could only fire wide when well placed to shoot

Enobakhare had another big chance to win the tie late on but Bravo made a great save with his feet to deny the teenager

Enobakhare had another big chance to win the tie late on but Bravo made a great save with his feet to deny the teenager

The City players had to pull themselves together as the Championship side took them to extra time in the Carabao Cup

The City players had to pull themselves together as the Championship side took them to extra time in the Carabao Cup

The much-maligned French defender so nearly let the Championship side in for a goal at the end of the first half.

Mangala was guilty of being slow and indecisive as he tried to shepherd the ball back to goal under pressure from Bright Enobakhare. The Nigerian sensed his chance and stole it off Mangala before breaking through on goal.

It was the best chance of the half and Enobakhare should have scored, but Bravo came out to make an excellent save with his legs.

Wolves had another great chance to score against the run of play in the 65th minute when Costa was sent through one-on-one with Bravo on the right-hand side of the box. The Portuguese player got an unfortunate bobble off his shinpad as he tried to steady himself, and that gave Bravo a vital opportunity to rush out and close down the space. 

Leroy Sane came off the bench in the extra half hour and went within inches of scoring, seeing his deflected effort go just over

Leroy Sane came off the bench in the extra half hour and went within inches of scoring, seeing his deflected effort go just over

 Bravo, who was instrumental in ensuring the game stayed goalless in the prior 120 minutes, was the shootout hero

 Bravo, who was instrumental in ensuring the game stayed goalless in the prior 120 minutes, was the shootout hero

Despite enduring a tough night in front of goal, Aguero remained composed when it came to the vital penalty kick

Despite enduring a tough night in front of goal, Aguero remained composed when it came to the vital penalty kick

It worked. Costa tried to lift the ball over the Chile international, but Bravo stuck out a big right hand and pawed it away.

Enobakhare then knocked the cumbersome Mangala off the ball again and would have scored had Tosin Adarabioyo not pocked the ball off his toe at the last second, before Bravo came out to deny him one-on-one once more in added time.

So to the shootout. Leo Bonatini scored for Wolves but De Bruyne and Toure responded under the 'ABBA' system for City. 

Then came those two Bravo saves and Sane's conversion set the stage for Aguero to seal it. At last, cause for celebration from the Argentine. Just not the one he had in mind.

The comments below have not been moderated.

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

We are no longer accepting comments on this article.