(Football news) Manchester City progressed into the Round of 16 of the Carabao Cup after a 2-0 win against Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium. Second half goals from Riyad Mahrez and Julian Alvarez were enough for the hosts to secure a win while second choice goalkeeper Stefan Ortega was forced to make two superb saves to keep City in the lead. Both managers made seven changes from the weekend but the circumstances couldn’t be more different as Graham Potter has only won two games in seven matches while City remain dominant across all competitions.

Speaking about Stefan Ortega after the match, City manager Pep Guardiola said “The Dortmund game was exceptional. The game against Sevilla was exceptional as well. We saw him every day. I think the club made an exceptional signing with him. He is an exceptional goalkeeper in all departments, with the ball with his feet. In the end, Chelsea did not score a goal because he saved it. And it is good for Edi as well because competition is so important to maintain the level." When asked about Jack Grealish, Guardiola replied “Today, he did not score but he had the chances and one day he will do it. He was exceptional again. Jack is playing really, really good."

When asked about Chelsea’s performance, Graham Potter said “I really enjoyed his (Hall’s) performance. He took responsibility, took the ball in tight areas, he attacked the box, and could have scored a couple of goals on another day. It was a really nice performance, a mature performance, I thought. He is a quiet lad who goes about his work. I have been really impressed with him. I thought there were quite a few positives, to be honest. 

“Obviously we are disappointed by the result but in terms of how we played, we created some good chances. There was a better structure and a better performance level. The team looked closer to what we wanted it to look like. The boys had great courage, they tried, obviously against a top team. Their keeper got man of the match, I think, which tells a little bit of the story. Overall, I think it was a step forward for us."

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