John Stones exposes Manchester United to return City to Carabao Cup final

Manchester City will take on Tottenham in April’s Wembley showpiece aiming to win the Carabao Cup for a remarkable fourth consecutive year, a feat only Liverpool have achieved.

For Ole Gunnar Solskjær and Manchester United this was a fourth successive semi-final reverse: losing at the stage is becoming a habit they have to break. What killed them were the two latest episodes of slack defending from set pieces, leading to goals from John Stones and Fernandinho. Here, too, is another bad practice that has to be eradicated. City, though, were jubilant and rightly so. When it mattered they landed the knockout punches. And, now, a fascinating tactical showdown between Pep Guardiola and José Mourinho beckons.

Related: Manchester United v Manchester City: Carabao Cup semi-final – live!

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