Football: Starting from being abandoned by Barcelona

During the halftime break, Guardiola seemed a little dissatisfied. He didn't seem to be very satisfied with the players' performance.

"We need more ball control and more offense." He said in the locker room.

"I know many of you don't have many game opportunities."

"But this is your stage to prove yourself, to show your strength, to prove that you deserve the Manchester City jersey!"

In the second half, the performance of Manchester City players changed significantly.

They began to control the ball more and began to attack Hull City's goal more.

Soon, their efforts were rewarded.

In the 52nd minute, Pozos received a pass from Navas, turned and shot in the penalty area, and the ball flew into Hull City's goal!

1:0! Manchester City finally broke the deadlock and took the lead!

This goal seemed to turn on some kind of switch for Manchester City players.

In the subsequent games, their performance became more confident and smooth.

In the 68th minute, Ihettalen handballed in the penalty area, Manchester City got a penalty kick, Delph scored the penalty kick, and the score came to 2:0!

Hull City seemed to have completely lost its fighting spirit. In the 73rd minute, Bony headed the ball and expanded Manchester City's lead again. 3:0!

The game was coming to an end with Manchester City's absolute advantage.

Before the end of the game, Delph scored again, setting the score at 4:1.

Although Hull City scored a goal in the stoppage time, it could not change the result of the game.

4:1! Manchester City, at home, won a big victory and advanced to the quarter-finals of the English League Cup!

After the game, Guardiola's face showed a rare smile.

"I am very happy to see the performance of the young players," he said with a smile.

"They have proved their strength and proved that they are worthy of playing for Manchester City. This will greatly enhance their confidence."

Manchester City's victory in the English League Cup undoubtedly gave fans and the media hope. However, the real test has just begun.

Starting from the next round of semi-finals, the rules of the game have changed.

It is no longer a single game to determine the winner, but a two-round home and away game system.

This means that Manchester City will face greater challenges and need to maintain stable performance in the two games.

And their opponent will be the winner between Middlesbrough and Everton.

No matter who it is, it is by no means an ordinary person.

Middlesbrough is a strong team from the Championship League. They have eliminated several Premier League teams in the League Cup.

And Everton is a traditional strong team in the Premier League. They have many English internationals.

For Manchester City, this will be a real test.

Can they maintain their form in consecutive high-intensity games? Can they gain the upper hand in the home and away games? These are all unresolved issues.

However, behind these issues, Manchester City's recent performance has attracted widespread attention from the British media.

In the previous three games, Manchester City showed a surprising state.

They first defeated Barcelona in the Champions League, and then won consecutive victories in the Premier League and League Cup.

Such performance inevitably makes people wonder: Is Manchester City on the right track? Can they reproduce the glory of last season?

"This team seems to be slowly getting back to form," wrote a media commentator.

"Guardiola's tactics seem to be working. If they can maintain this momentum, they will be a force that cannot be underestimated in the Premier League and the Champions League."

However, there are also some skeptical voices.

"We can't ignore that Manchester City's recent opponents, except Barcelona, ​​are not too strong."

"Southampton and Hull City are not top teams in the Premier League and the Championship."

"It is reasonable for Manchester City to beat them. The real test has not yet come."

These comments are not without reason.

After all, Manchester City's performance in the Premier League has been unstable this season.

They have lost to Tottenham and Liverpool in a row, and were tied at home by newly promoted Middlesbrough.

Such ups and downs make it difficult to judge their true state.

But in any case, Manchester City's recent winning streak has undoubtedly injected a shot of adrenaline into them.

It gives players confidence, fans hope, and Guardiola more time and space to adjust and optimize his tactical system.

What will happen in the future? No one can give a definite answer.

But one thing is certain: in the nextIn the competition, Manchester City will face more challenges and have more opportunities to prove themselves.

The semi-finals of the English League Cup will undoubtedly be an important watershed.

If Manchester City can win the home and away games, it will undoubtedly be a great encouragement; but if they are eliminated, it will undoubtedly be a blow to the team's morale.

As for the Premier League and the Champions League, it is a long and arduous journey.

If Manchester City wants to make a difference in these two events, it must maintain a stable state and must show its best performance at critical moments.

This is undoubtedly a huge challenge for Guardiola and his players.

Time is always fleeting.

Li Lei is still savoring the joy of the victory in the English League Cup, and a new challenge has come.

On December 5, Manchester City will visit the bet365 Stadium to challenge Stoke City.

This is a Premier League game.

For Manchester City, this is by no means an easy game.

Stoke City has always been a "hard bone" in the Premier League.

Their home stadium, bet365 Stadium, is known as "Purgatory". Countless giants have failed here.

Li Lei, of course, knows the difficulty of this game. As a professional player, he knows clearly that no game in the Premier League is easy.

Every minute and every second needs to be exchanged with sweat and effort.

"This will be a difficult game," Guardiola said at the pre-match press conference.

"Stoke City is a very difficult team, especially at home. We must go all out to take away three points from there."