Manchester City remain in the Carabao Cup thanks to penalty shootout heroics from the much-maligned Claudio Bravo. That came after the goalkeeper pulled off three excellent saves to deny Championship leaders Wolves in both normal and extra time, as the visitors looked to catch City on the break. Pep Guardiola's team had the lion's share of the ball, but did little with it -- in the end, their weakened side was lucky to progress.
Positives
There was very little to write home about for Guardiola from this game. You wonder how much he actually cares, having previously agreed with Jose Mourinho that the competition should be done away with, but nevertheless his team scraped through to the next round. Bravo's performance was also a particular highlight, having been heavily criticised in the past.
Negatives
City could have played for another 120 minutes and not scored. There was nobody to unlock the Wolves' back five and it was the visitors who had the best chances of the evening. The game perhaps exposes some of the weaknesses the side could face when some of the regular starters aren't in the team.
Manager rating out of 10
6 -- Having shuffled his pack, Guardiola was forced to rely on his first teamers from the bench to get the job done ... though he left it very late.
Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best. Players introduced after 100 minutes get no rating)
GK Claudio Bravo, 10 -- Make a note of the date, hell has frozen over and pigs are sprouting wings. From hopeless to hero, the goalkeeper was the reason City are in the next round of the cup. Three vital one-on-one stops kept the scores level, before two excellent penalty saves completed the Chile international's redemption. He was assured, confident and did everything Guardiola hoped he'd do last season.
DF Danilo, 6 -- Having recently admitted he'd need to wait for his chance to get back into the team, Danilo didn't do much to convince Guardiola to opt for him over Kyle Walker or Fabian Delph at fullback. He was solid, but lacking in end product.
DF Tosin Adarabioyo, 8 -- Given his minimal first-team experience, it's remarkable that the youngster looked the more assured of the two centre-backs. He was confident on the ball and put in one brilliant tackle as the Wolves tried to seize on a City error breaking clear late in the match.
DF Eliaquim Mangala, 4 -- Surely this is the end of the road for the defender at City? Even against Championship opposition, albeit the leaders who are playing very well at the moment, Mangala still looked out of his depth. He was muscled out of it several times, leading to one-on-ones and had Bravo to thank for bailing him out.
MF Oleksandr Zinchenko, 6 -- Playing out of position as a left-back, the debutant put in a comfortable display. He looked very tired toward the end, understandably.
MF Yaya Toure, 5 -- The veteran tried to boss the game in midfield, but with Wolves sitting so deep, he found it hard to pull the strings like he used to. There was a daft dive for his yellow card, while there was no doubt about his penalty in the shootout.
MF Ilkay Gundogan, 6 -- There were a couple of driving runs from the midfielder as City struggled to break down their opponents. Unfortunately for the hosts, Gundogan couldn't help the cause with a goal or an assist across 120 minutes.
MF Raheem Sterling, 6 -- Always a willing runner, Sterling was able to get in behind the Wolves' defence a few times, but he couldn't pick out a teammate once he'd wriggled free in the box. There was a finish he'd like to forget, one that could have won it late in the match.
MF Bernardo Silva, 6 -- The creative midfielder couldn't find the pass to slip either Sergio Aguero or Gabriel Jesus through. He seemed comfortable in tight areas, but couldn't find the final ball.
FW Gabriel Jesus, 5 -- It was an unusually quiet game from the striker, who found it difficult to find space in a tightly packed Wolves box.
FW Sergio Aguero, 6 -- Boy did Aguero try to break City's goal-scoring record on Tuesday evening. He spent the first half shooting on sight, but his shooting boots were back in the dressing room. His penalty, however, was cheeky and a perfect way to round off the shootout.
Substitutes
MF Kevin De Bruyne, 6 -- Replacing Gabriel on 82 minutes, the Belgium international took a while to get into the game and wasn't the creative spark Guardiola would have wanted. However, his penalty showed great composure.
DF John Stones, 6 -- The defender settled any nerves in the back four when he came on for Adarabioyo at the start of extra time.
MF Leroy Sane, 7 -- A fresh set of legs for Silva on 95 minutes, Sane looked the most likely to break the deadlock for City in extra time. His penalty was a doozy, too.
DF Kyle Walker, NR -- On for Danilo on 103 minutes, Walker gave added pace to City's wide play.