For Manchester City, there was a glimpse of the unfamiliar before the almost automatic victory. The Carabao Cup feels Pep Guardiola’s personal fiefdom, to such an extent that the sole tie he has lost in the last five years came on penalties, and he started his bid for a record fifth victory by brushing aside last season’s finalists, courtesy of a storming start to the second half.
The element of novelty came before an inspired Riyad Mahrez helped them score twice in six minutes. Kalvin Phillips’ City career had consisted of a mere 14 minutes on the pitch; while a summer signing had proved decisive, it was Erling Haaland, not him. But his return after eight weeks on the sidelines with a shoulder injury, Phillips completed 41 minutes with no alarms. It was a well-timed appearance, some 17 hours before Gareth Southgate announces England’s World Cup squad. Phillips will probably be in it.
