Pep Guardiola paid tribute to an ‘incredible’ Hugo Lloris display after his Manchester City side defeated Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday, while speaking to the club’s official website.
Well, that’s one third of a treble done. 33 per cent closer to history.
And it was never really in doubt.
In fact, the only surprise at a raucous Wembley stadium was that City did not put the game to bed much earlier than they did. It took an 82nd-minute header from Aymeric Laporte to break Spurs’ resistance; the £57 million centre-back finally finding a way past an inspired Lloris.
Tottenham’s World Cup-winning goalkeeper held the fort together almost single-handedly at times as City threatened to batter down the door and storm the castle, keeping out the twinkling Riyad Mahrez with an iron-clad wrist – perhaps the pick of his saves.
Guardiola, reacting after securing a fourth straight EFL Cup medal, was relieved to see a dominant Manchester City side belatedly make their pressure count against Ryan Mason’s Spurs.
“Amazing (performance),” Guardiola said.
“(Serge) Aurier is a fast defender and they are incredibly good at defending the shot and the blocks. Lloris made some incredible saves.”
Rumours of his demise might just have been exaggerated.
Lloris had become something of a lightning rod for the fans’ frustration during the final few months of Jose Mourinho’s tenure, but he has looked like a man reborn since Mason (five years his junior) stepped into the breach.
The Frenchman’s heroics were not enough, however, to bring an end to 13 trophyless years at Spurs.
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