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Wednesday 22 January 2014

West Ham 0-3 Manchester City (agg 0-9): Negredo & Aguero seal Wembley spot in style

 
Played
January 21, 2014 8:45 PM WAT
Boleyn Ground — London
Referee:‬ C. Foy‎
Attendance:‬ 14390‎
 
 
Negredo 3′
 
 
Negredo 59′

Top of the Match
Marcos Lopes
Marcos Lopes
Manchester City
Flop of the Match
Roger Johnson
Roger Johnson
West Ham United

West Ham 0-3 Manchester City (agg 0-9): Negredo & Aguero seal Wembley spot in style

A double from Alvaro Negredo and a clinical Sergio Aguero finish piled further humiliation on Sam Allardyce's men at Upton Park as City cruised into the final

Westham - Manchester City
Getty
Manchester City cruised into the final of the Capital One Cup by routing West Ham for the second time in a week to complete a 9-0 aggregate victory.

Ruthless City were already all-but assured of a place in the final against either arch-rivals Manchester United or Sunderland on March 2 after thrashing Sam Allardyce's side 6-0 in the first leg at the Etihad Stadium.

And the Premier League title contenders heaped more misery on the struggling London club, Negredo striking a goal in each half at Upton Park to take his tally to 23 goals for the season as Manuel Pellegrini's claimed the most emphatic semi-final victory in the Capital One Cup.

MATCH VIEW
By Jay Jaffa

West Ham needed a miracle tonight but even that last bastion of hope was bludgeoned inside three minutes as Alvaro Negredo powered a header past Jussi Jaaskelainen.

If James Tomkins went AWOL on the first goal, the whole Hammers defence were to blame for the second as first Roger Johnson missed his tackle, Tomkins disappeared and Razvan Rat tackled Matt Taylor, leaving Sergio Aguero to clip home a second.

The third was similarly catastrophic defending and Sam Allardyce will hope this was a one-off as he refocuses his side for an away game at Chelsea next weekend.

For Manchester City, the next step in the Capital One Cup is the final where they will hope to add their first trophy of the Manuel Pellegrini reign.

Perhaps more important though, was the performance of 18-year-old Miguel Lopes. The Portuguese starlet collected two brilliant assists and looks destined for greatness.
The in-form Spain striker, who scored a hat-trick in the first leg, now boasts nine goals in his last six games and his strike partner Sergio Aguero scored his 22nd goal of the campaign in the first half as West Ham were made to pay for more abysmal defending.

West Ham have now lost five of their last six games in all competitions, while City can look forward to their first appearance in a League Cup final since 1976.

In front of a crowd of only 14,390, Aguero made his first start for over a month as Manuel Pellegrini made eight changes to the City side that beat Cardiff City on Saturday.

Andy Carroll was in the West Ham starting line-up for the first time this season and Kevin Nolan returned from suspension as Sam Allardyce also rung the changes.

West Ham were made to pay for some terrible defending in the first leg and had seemingly failed to learn their lesson as City took the lead all too easily after just two minutes.

Gael Clichy was afforded too much time and space to deliver a cross from the left and Negredo headed in after being left unmarked by James Tomkins.

The West Ham faithful voiced their disapproval and worse was to follow 23 minutes in, when Aguero caused panic in the West Ham defence and coolly slotted home with his left foot after teenager Marcos Lopes had been allowed to advance from midfield.

Carroll was replaced by Carlton Cole at the break after a frustrating first half, while referee Chris Foy waved play on three minutes after the break when Ravel Morrison tumbled in the penalty area.

Cole forced a save out of Costel Pantilimon just five minutes after coming on when he escaped two defenders and was then denied by the City goalkeeper at his near post.

But it appeared to be only a matter of time before the visitors increased their lead and Negredo cashed in on West Ham's defensive frailties after 59 minutes, bursting into the box unchallenged then dinking the ball over Jussi Jaaskelainen from a tight angle with his left foot.

Stevan Jovetic made his first appearance since October when he replaced Aguero after 64 minutes.

West Ham were unable to cope with City's attacking threat and Jesus Navas should have added a fourth goal 15 minutes from time, but the winger fired high over the crossbar.

The hosts' misery was compounded late on when Mohamed Diame was taken off on a stretcher having been injured.
---------------- goal.com

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