MANCHESTER CITY SWEPT into the League Cup final with a ruthless 3-0 win at West Ham tonight which completed a 9-0 aggregate victory in a brutally one-sided semi-final.
Manuel Pellegrini’s side had already effectively booked their place at Wembley after winning the first leg 6-0 at Eastlands, but they didn’t take it easy in the return at Upton Park.
Alvaro Negredo and Sergio Aguero put City two goals up before half-time in east London and Negredo struck again after the break to cap another clinical display from one of the most potent strike-forces in Europe.
City will face arch rivals Manchester United in the final on 2 March if David Moyes’ side can overturn a 2-1 deficit in the second leg of their semi-final at Old Trafford tomorrow night.
The 20,000 stay-away fans couldn’t be blamed at kick-off and their decision looked even wiser as West Ham’s creaky defence was breached with less than three minutes played.
City’s teenage Portuguese winger Marcos Lopes had time and space to float a cross into the six-yard box, where Spanish striker Negredo rose completely unmarked to power a header past Jussi Jaaskelainen from close-range.
YouTube: BeINGoal.com
Sergio Aguero wasn’t to be denied for long either as the Argentine forward punished more woeful West Ham defending to increase City’s lead in the 24th minute.
And City had that achievement in their sights when Negredo barged his way through the Hammers defence once again before stretching to clip his shot over Jaaskelainen in the 59th minute for his 23rd goal of the season.
YouTube: BeINGoal.com
In the end, City settled for just three goals and their thoughts had already turned to Wembley long before the final whistle put West Ham out of their misery.
