The month provided a mixed bag of results for the Blues: bowing out of the FA Cup, dropping points at Turf Moor, returning to Champions League action and winning the first trophy of the season. Here we review February game-by-game…
The month began with a trip to Turf Moor, and with a 4-1 win against Burnley in the FA Cup in January, hopes were high for the travelling Blues.
Danilo’s thunderous strike in the 22nd minute pushed City into the lead and things were looking good – we enjoyed a majority of the possession and created a number of chances. Many will remember Raheem Sterling’s chance as he collected Kyle Walker’s pinpoint shot just yards from Burnley’s open net but fired his attempt inches wide and forced the England international to fall to the floor in frustration.
In response, Burnley’s Aaron Lennon submitted a powerful shot goalward but Ederson performed a mesmerising save when he launched to push the shot onto the post.
Despite City’s chances it wasn’t to be, with Johann Gudmundsson finding the target in the closing minutes of the game to hold Pep’s side to a draw. It simply was just one of those days…
After dropping points at Turf Moor the Blues returned to their next Premier League clash with a bang. One, two, three, four goals from Sergio Aguero (and the final was quite magnificent), a hat-trick of assists for Kevin De Bruyne and City’s free-flowing football formed a recipe for success against Leicester City.
We entered the break at deadlock with the Foxes after Jamie Vardy cancelled out Sterling’s early goal, but a whirlwind second half saw Sergio seal the three points proving exactly why he’s the Club’s all-time top goalscorer.
READ: Season Review | January
Just three days after our five-goal flurry, we returned to Champions League action as Guardiola’s side travelled to St. Jakob-Park to take on FC Basel in the Round of 16, first leg.
Ilkay Gundogan was undoubtedly the star man of the evening as he whipped two strikes past the Swiss Champions and could’ve added more! Another two from Bernardo Silva and Aguero helped to plant one foot firmly in the next round of the European competition.
There was most certainly a deep intake of breath when City and Wigan’s names were pulled out the hat for the FA Cup fifth round tie. Before the clash the Blues had already fallen to the Latics twice before in the same competition, most memorably in the 2013 final.
It was evident from the outset that it was going to be a tough contest, Paul Cook’s side sat incredibly deep and continuously suffocated City’s attack. Then, just before the break we were down to ten men when the referee showed red to Fabian Delph for a challenge on Max Power.
Fired-up by the sending off, we were unleashed from the tunnel and pressed for the goal we so desperately needed - but it wasn’t to be. Instead, Wigan booked a spot in the semi-final through Will Grigg’s 79th minute strike and although City did absolutely everything to hunt for the equaliser we made an exit from the competition.
As City bowed out of the FA Cup, a week later provided the perfect opportunity to bounce back – the chance to lift the first piece of silverware of the season.
And it was won in style as slick City - led by Vincent Kompany - cruised through the Wembley clash to lift the League Cup for the third time in five years.
Arsenal threatened to take an early lead after eight minutes through Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, but Pep’s men launched into action with Aguero opening the proceedings with a strike in the 18th minute. After the break Kompany was on hand to double our lead, and his celebration was enough to bring a tear to any City fan’s eye.
David Silva added final gloss to the scoreline on 65 minutes to see Pep Guardiola lift his very first piece of English silverware. Amazing.
