Lee Johnson’s men defied all odds to remain in the tie with a valiant 2-1 defeat at the Etihad a fortnight ago, but Sergio Aguero’s late winner put the Premier League leaders in pole position to reach Wembley and the frustration on the Bristol City's players' faces was evident because they gave everything and Guardiola's side were average at most.

After doing so well packing men behind the ball and playing on the break, the Robins needed to open up and expose themselves in order to stand a chance against the runaway Premier League leaders. But it's easier said than done.

Forty-three minutes of commendable defending evaporated in the blink of an eye as Leroy Sane fired home a totally avoidable goal from the hosts' point of view. Magnusson attempted to usher the ball out of play rather than clear his lines and he had his pocket picked by Bernardo Silva who worked the ball for Sane to beat Steele.

Until then, Manchester City had looked to extend their slender advantage from the first leg but had failed to convert their indisputable dominance into goals. The defending from the Robins was by no means composed but it was effective, limiting City to a handful of openings before Sane eventually broke the deadlock.

Bristol emerged from the tunnel with a risky game plan. The impenetrable barrier Lee Johnson tried to assemble to withstand the onslaught from the Citizens only remained that way for a limited amount of time. And it was in the cruelest fashion that the Championship side were left with an uphill task standing in the way of their Wembley dream.

After the break, De Bruyne's 14th assist of the season seemed to devastate all hopes the Robins had as the Belgian checked inside one defender before finding Aguero on the right. The Argentine fashioned some space and unleashed a dipping effort befond Steele and into the bottom corner to all but seal City's passage into the Carabao Cup final.

- A glimmer of hope for the Robins -

Manchester City can keep the ball like anyone and they did just that as they looked to take control of the game with prolonged spells of possession, but Bristol City grabbed the faintest of lifelines as the visitors switched off at the back. Reid dispossessed Stones and found Paterson on the left. His floated cross was met by Marlon Pack, who emphatically rifled a header past Bravo.

The game petered out comfortably for the visitors, who had the ball and the clearer chances, but the scoreline remained unaltered until deep into stoppage time. Flint stroked Reid's knock-back into the back of the net to get the crowd on their feet. But the granstand finale was not to be as De Bruyne ensured his team's passage into the final by applying the finishing touch to a devastating counter.

Bristol City's dream of making it into their first major final since the FA Cup final in 1909 came to an abrupt end, but the journey will be remembered at Ashton Gate for a long time. City now have the chance to give Guardiola his first trophy since arriving at the Etihad.

Marlon Pack

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