WEST HAM UNITED v MANCHESTER CITY
CAPITAL ONE CUP SEMI-FINAL SECOND LEG
BOLEYN GROUND
TUESDAY 21 JANUARY 2014
KICK-OFF: 7.45PM
REFEREE: CHRIS FOY
FULL AUDIO AND TEXT COMMENTARY - WEST HAM TV
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Final score - West Ham United 0-3 Manchester City (Agg 0-9)
92: That's it. Well done to City, who are through to the final. West Ham's run comes to an end at the semi-final stage. City were too good, but the Capital One Cup has given us a few good memories - a win at Spurs most notably. Thanks for joining us. We have a weekend off, but we'll be back in league action at Chelsea next Wednesday evening.
90: Johnson pokes a cross behind for a corner. It's initially cleared and when the chip comes back in, Jaaskelainen collects. One added minute will be played.
89: Diame is stretchered off. Collison is on. Taylor drives the free-kick into the hands of Pantilimon from halfway.
87: Diame is down again after being fouled. The attendance is 14,390. Diame has the physio on. He is on his back and doesn't look too happy. A replay shows he was caught on the right foot and left shin before going down. That's all West Ham need, another potential injury.
86: Negredo is back on and City are back up to their full complement.
85: West Ham have a corner. Negredo is still off the pitch. The corner is cleared.
83: Negredo gets to Lopes' pass first and falls awkwardly over the tackle from Tomkins. No foul, but the striker is gripping his shoulder and clearly in pain.
81: So nearly! Downing crosses, Diame slaps his shot into the turf, Cole controls, turns and shots but Lescott blocks. Downing tries to retrieve but concedes a goal kick.
78: Navas is replaced by Kolarov.
76: Cole loses possession and the ball is played in behind for Navas by Negredo. Rat has gone walkies and Navas has time and space to pick his spot. He doesn't. Instead, the Spain winger fires high and into the crowd.
74: Cole's lay-off for Downing allows the winger to take on Boyata and cross from the left. Rodwell gets back and heads behind. The corner comes over and Tomkins heads inches wide of the far post. So close to a consolation. A deserved consolation, I might add.
72: Negredo forces a corner. Navas takes and Cole hacks clear. City come again and Fernandinho shoots from distance with his right foot, but it flies over. The ball that is, not Fernandinho's right foot.
70: Rat concedes a free-kick on the City right. They take it short and work the ball back to Lopes. His cross is a bit of a mis-hit, but floats and hits the outside of the angle of post and crossbar! Jaaskelainen had it covered, I think.
67: Downing digs out a cross from near the left corner flag, but Pantilimon spreads his wings and collects above Cole.
65: Aguero is replaced by Jovetic. Some West Ham fans applaud Aguero as he comes off. The No16 is top-class, of that there is no doubt.
64: Morrison at the races again, running down the middle before being taken out by the covering Clichy. Yellow card for the left-back.
63: Garcia is replaced by Rodwell for the visitors.
61: Morrison so nearly makes it 3-1 as he dances past about four defenders, only for Lescott to make a diving block with his leg. Moments later, Aguero tries to do exactly the same, but is thwarted on the edge of the penalty area. Diame steps in, but he's hurt as he makes the challenge.
59: Goal! Negredo picks the ball up 25 yards out, powers into the box, outmuscles Johnson and Taylor and clips the ball past Jaaskelainen with his left foot.
57: Diame has the ball inside the City penalty area from Downing's cross and wants to get his shot away but Cole cannot get out of the way! Eventually, the ball rolls loose and City clear. Diame raises his hands in frustration.
55: Morrison hits the wall with the free-kick.
54: A chance to shoot! Cole collects a loose clearance and tries to shoot but is impeded by Nastasic. Taylor will be on this one, I should think. Slightly left of centre, edge of the D...
51: Cole does really well initially to outpace Lescott to Downing's pass and cut inside from the left edge of the penalty area. Cole shoots, Pantilimon blocks with his legs and the ball loops high into the air. Morrison gets there ahead of a defender and again goes to ground. Nothing given again by the referee.
49: Morrison collects 25 yards out and beats one man before going to ground as he tries to beat a second inside the box. No penalty awarded by Mr Foy. Replays show he was fouled by Lescott, in my opinion.
47: Joe Cole is replaced by Downing. It looks like Cole might have picked up a knock as he goes straight down the tunnel with a member of the medical team.
46: Morrison and Diame get the second half off and running...
West Ham replace Carroll with Carlton Cole for the second half.
Half-time score - West Ham United 0-2 Manchester City (Agg 0-8)
46: Diame takes on Clichy and crosses. Carroll jumps but Pantilimon is even bigger than he is and claims. The 6'8" gloveman rolls around on the turf for a bit before making a recovery and taking the free-kick. He launches upfield and that's half-time. The equation is eight goals in 45 minutes to force extra-time. We'd need to score again in the extra 30 minutes to win as otherwise City would go through on away goals. On a serious note, City have been clinical and taken their chances. West Ham have had half-chances of their own, but not seriously tested Pantilimon. Carroll has looked up for it and lively, which bodes well for the battles ahead.
46: Into the one added minute and West Ham can grab a lifeline from a free-kick on halfway... Taylor takes and it comes to nothing.
43: Jaaskelainen does superbly as a first-time ball catches out Taylor. Lopes looks to be favourite, but the 38-year-old outpaces the teenager to claim sliding on the edge of his box. West Ham break and Nolan flicks on for Diame. The hosts win a corner as Diame's cross is headed behind. The flag kick is cleared at the near post.
39: Close to 3-0 as Rat gives the ball straight to Aguero. He plays a one-two before finding Navas wide right. He beats Rat and crosses low. Johnson slices the ball over his own crossbar for a corner, which West Ham clear. Morrison is fouled and the Hammers can relieve the pressure for now.
38: Not this time. Diarra loses out to Lopes and the Portuguese gets away from the Frenchman. Diarra clips his heels. Yellow card. Free-kick 30 yards out. Danger. Negredo's effort thuds into Cole in the wall.
36: Aguero goes to ground inside the box as he lays the ball off. Nothing is given. A replay suggests he may have been tripped. Nothing conclusive, though. Play-on...
35: Tomkins seeks out Carroll, who is flagged offside. The No9 tries to belt the ball away in frustration, but slices it. The City fans enjoyed that. Carroll didn't, I'm sure.
31: Aguero is booked for a nasty looking challenge on Tomkins. He jumped into that with both feet and is perhaps lucky only to see yellow. Tomkins is down for a while, but is able to resume without treatment. Replays show that was not a very good tackle at all. Maybe he's frustrated City are only 2-0 up?
27: Jaaskelainen called into action again, but this time the Finn makes the save. West Ham break and Carroll forces a corner when his snap-shot is blocked behind, but it's headed clear.
26: I am usually relentlessly optimistic, but I'm starting to lose hope that we'll be at Wembley on 2 March...
24: Goal! Johnson slides in on Lopes and pokes the ball past Tomkins. Aguero picks up possession and runs into the box. Rat slides in and trips Taylor. Aguero continues and clips the left-foot finish past Jaaskelainen.
22: Patient football from West Ham as they build-up after Diame had raced 50 yards to win the ball from Lopes. Good work from the Senegal man. After switching play to the left, Morrison tries to play in Nolan, but the pass is too strong. Goal kick.
20: The City fans are making all the noise at present. It must be fun supporting them at present. I can remember watching them play Stoke back in 1998. At full-time, both were relegated to what is now League One. How times change, eh!
18: Diame cuts inside from Morrison's pass and works Pantilimon with a left-foot shot, but it's a routine save for the Romanian.
16: Taylor loses out and Lopes finds Aguero. He has options but opts to shoot himself, forcing Jaaskelainen into a good plunging save to his right. Corner. Carroll wins it and West Ham half-clear. The cross comes in again from the left and Tomkins clears before Rat volleys upfield for a throw.
15: Better. Taylor battles away down the right and wins the ball back. Diame takes over and beats Clichy with a nice bit of skill before crossing. Carroll reacts quickly, attacks the ball above Lescott and powers his header over the crossbar. Good movement by Carroll, but the finish was just lacking.
12: West Ham have a free-kick 35 yards out that Rat initially makes a meal off by hitting a City defender. Eventually, the ball is lifted in, Carroll flicks on and the ball is poked behind for a corner. Tomkins wins it at the far post, but City clear and counter-attack, only for Aguero's pass to roll away behind.
10: A deep diagonal cross from Rat is flicked on by Lescott under pressure from Carroll. Diame collects and has a shooting chance from the angle, but drives his shot a couple of yards high and wide. At least West Ham are giving this a go.
9: Position-wise, Cole is wide left, Diame wide right and Carroll through the middle. Nolan is supporting centrally, with Morrison and Diarra sitting slightly deeper. Taylor is in his new position of right-back.
8: Aguero drops a shoulder, gets past his man and fires wildly wide with his left foot. It's been all action so far.
7: Taylor checks and whips in a left-footed cross this time, but it's beyond everyone and bounces away for a goal kick. It was into a decent area, but City's high defensive line meant nobody could get in behind to attack it.
6: The comeback was on there as Taylor's cross from the right is volleyed past Pantilimon by Nolan, only for the assistant to raise his flag for offside. Nolan was a couple of yards beyond the centre-backs.
5: Just the eight goals needed now.
3: Goal! Oh dear. A cross from the left from Lopes is headed down and in by the unmarked Negredo. The Spaniard had all the time and space he needed to pick his spot and planted his header down and past Jaaskelainen's left hand.
2: So far, so good. It's still goalless, so no away goals for City.
7.45pm - The visitors get the game underway through Negredo and Aguero. City are shooting towards the Bobby Moore Stand.
7.44pm - Nearly ready to go. City to kick-off. The last thing we want is extra-time and penalties...
7.40pm - Here come the two teams, led by captains Nolan and Lescott. Bubbles are floating through the air, both physically and verbally. It's cold, clear and still. Can the Hammers spring a surprise?
7.27pm - I have just spoken to Ronnie O'Sullivan for West Ham TV and he has said some nice things about the Hammers. He has encouraged our players to dig in and hopes we can stay in the Barclays Premier League. Unfortunately, the Rocket's six-year-old son is supporting Manchester City this evening!
7.15pm - The Hammers are out on the pitch warming-up on a crisp, cold night in east London. No sign of Manchester City just yet. Oh, here they come... You can download tonight's teamsheet by clicking on the link above.
7.07pm - Snooker star Ronnie O'Sullivan is here tonight. He achieved a 6-0 win in London last week in winning the Masters at the Alexandra Palace. Perhaps the Hammers can emulate the Rocket...!
7pm - Manchester City are clearly taking it easy with Aguero and Negredo up front... Those two have just scored the 45 goals between them this season. It looks like 4-4-2 from City, with Lopes and Navas on the wings.
6.50pm - The teams are in and Andy Carroll starts! Jaaskelainen returns in goal for the Hammers, while Tomkins, captain Nolan, Diarra, Morrison nd Joe Cole are restored to the starting XI. Adrian, Collins, Noble, Downing, Collison, Jarvis and Carlton Cole drop out. Six of them are on the bench, while Collins is rested.
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen, Taylor, Tomkins, Johnson, Rat, Diarra, Diame, Nolan, Morrison, J.Cole, Carroll
Subs: Adrian, Jarvis, Collison, Noble, Downing, C.Cole, Chambers
Manchester City: Pantilimon, Boyata, Lescott (c), Nastasic, Clichy, Garcia, Fernandinho, Navas, Lopes, Negredo, Aguero
Subs: Hart, Zabaleta, Demichelis, Kolarov, Rodwell, Dzeko, Jovetic.
Good evening and welcome to the Boleyn Ground for tonight's Capital One Cup semi-final second tie between West Ham United and Manchester City.
West Ham's chances of reaching the final may be slim - a 500/1 shot with some bookmakers - but that doesn't mean that Sam Allardyce and his squad will not be playing for pride.
After a difficult evening at the Etihad Stadium, Big Sam has Kevin Nolan and James Tomkins available after suspension tonight and has vowed to name a strong starting line-up. The likes of Andy Carroll, Ravel Morrison and Alou Diarra may be given chances to play their way into the manager's Barclays Premier League team.
That said, Manchester City are absolutely on fire this season. Manuel Pellegrini's side have scored more than 100 goals in all competitions already and have not lost any of their last 17 matches, winning 15 of them. Pellegrini will likely make changes and give some of his fringe players a chance to impress, but City will still field a formidable starting XI here in east London.
Argentina forward Sergio Aguero could be handed his first start since the 6-3 home league win over Arsenal on 14 December, having recently returned from a calf injury. Montenegro forward Stevan Jovetic is also expected to feature, having not played since the Capital One Cup fourth-round win at Newcastle United on 30 October. However, France attacking midfielder Samir Nasri is definitely out with a knee injury.
One player whose career history will give West Ham some heart is Stewart Downing. The England winger was named Man of the Match when Liverpool won the League Cup final against Cardiff City in 2012 and also scored twice for the Middlesbrough side which beat Manchester City 8-1 in May 2008!
West Ham have previously won a League Cup tie 10-0, of course, beating Bury by that scoreline in a second-round second leg tie back in October 1983. A repeat of that scoreline this evening would be most welcome!
We will have the confirmed team news at just after 6.45pm. In the meantime, please enter our matchday #WHULINEUP and #WHUGOAL competitions on our Twitter page @whufc_official
Match Sponsor
• West Ham United would like to welcome Season Cars as tonight's Match Sponsor. Season Cars provide luxury and prestige car hire across the capital and beyond from their east London base. For more information about Season Cars, click here.
