It's down to the diehards for this £15 spectacular. Hipsters Matt and Lisa have been drinking cocktails and enjoying vegan burgers at the Lock Inn at Hackney Wick, Fraser joins us in the ground, Nigel is away curating his heavy metal collection and Michael the Whovian is trying to reverse the polarity of the neutron flow while visiting his dad. In a testament to the loyalty of West Ham fans it's another sell-out, despite being the third home game in six days.
The line-ups seem ominous, with City fielding a very strong side and West Ham resting Antonio, Rice and most of the first team. With only Yarmolenko up front the Hammers sit deep early on, though Noble does get a shot away at Steffen, with City then breaking and Dawson making a saving tackle to foil De Bruyne.
The Mancunians enjoy 64 per cent possession in the 90 minutes and fashion two late chances in the first half. Palmer has a shot saved by the feet of Areola and Ake misses a good headed chance after a free kick. Mystic May suggests that penalties are our best chance of winning it.
It's a lively start to the second half as Masuaka fires a cross come shot wide and Gundogan shoots wide when he should score. But the Irons are starting to play with belief as Masuaku fires a shot at Steffen and Yarmolenko 's effort from the rebound is blocked by a last-ditch tackle.
WE'RE NOT REALLY HERE?
Then it becomes the Areola show. The Fonz first saves De Bruyne's deflected shot with his feet and then makes a brilliant reaction save to keep out Stones' header. At the other end good work by Noble, Cresswell and Vlasic sets up Soucek only for Tomas to slice wide. He can't buy a goal at the moment.
Moyes senses he can win it, bringing on Fornals, Benrahma and Bowen (who is apparently good friends with Dani Dyer). Rather more ominously City bring on Grealish, Foden and Jesus. Areola then has to save with his feet from Gundogan and then tips over a rasping effort from Zinchenko.
"Come on you Irons!" reverberates around the stadium as the atmosphere goes up a notch. Surely we can't knock out the side that has won the Carabao Cup four years in succession?West Ham have a late chance to win it as Fornals sets up Soucek for another slice wide.
The three minutes of added time get rather nerve-wracking as City win a free-kick. The initial effort is blocked and then Jesus plants a header straight at Areola. Former Culture Club drummer Jonathan Moss blows his whistle and it's a penalty shoot-out.
HE SHOOTS HE SCORES!
As we've all know since the 2006 FA Cup Final, West Ham don't win penalty shoot-outs. But what's this? Noble confidently puts the first penalty down the middle to score. Then Foden hits his penalty wide. Bowen scores even though Steffen gets a hand to it, before City pull one back. Up steps Craig Dawson, who puts his body on the line every game and shows true bottle here, to power home a typically no-nonsense penalty. Cresswell converts the fourth, then Grealish scores and it's 4-3. If Benrahma nets the fifth penalty we've won it. Said steps up and confidently dispatches it into the top corner before running to his family in the corner and sparking mayhem.
If the theories of quantum physics are correct and there are a series of multiverses, then we seem to have entered a different one where West Ham win penalty shoot-outs. Perhaps like the City fans we're not really here. City have lost their first Carabao Cup tie in five years. Bubbles and Sweet Caroline plays on the PA. Three wins in six days!
The spirit in the side has been immense. Yes, City have battered us at times, but Areola has been brilliant in goal and Diop and Dawson have been excellent at the back. Winning has become a habit.
A great night is rounded off by finding the Black Bull is half-empty as all the people with kids have gone home. It's cash only, but we have enough to order pints of tasty Titanic porter, having sunk the luxury cruise ship that was Man City. No doubt we'll get Liverpool away in the next round, but having seen off both Manchester clubs we'll take on anybody. Irons!
PLAYER RATINGS: Areola 9; Johnson 8, Dawson 8, Diop 8, Cresswell 7, Masuaku 6 (Fornals 7); Noble 7, Soucek 6, Vlasic 6 (Benrahma 8) Lanzini 6 (Coufal 6); Yarmolenko 6 (Bowen 6).
2 comments:
I was checking the fixtures, we've got 8 in December! Cressy can't play every game surely? Great wins v Everton, Genk, Tottenham and City..it's unbelievable!
It certainly is. I guess Arthur will have to fill in for Cressy at some point, and maybe Kral for Soucek who looks very tired. But a nice problem to have. Irons!
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