Today’s back pages: ‘Champers’ City win Carabao Cup and Tottenham must toughen up
A round-up of the sport headlines from UK newspapers on 2 March
City win the Carabao Cup
“Champers” is the headline on the back of the Daily Star, beneath a photo of Pep Guardiola swigging a bottle of bubbly after watching his Manchester City side clinch a third Carabao Cup title in a row.
City beat Aston Villa 2-1 at Wembley yesterday and the Daily Mail, Daily Express and The Times use the same photo on their back pages - of the jubilant Sky Blues lifting the cup on the hallowed Wembley turf.
The Mail quotes Guardiola declaring that “no team will ever match City’s amazing trophy haul”, and the Times interprets the Spaniard’s boast in its headline, “the history boys”.
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Independent is generous in its praise of Villa, describing them as “spirited” but not strong enough to deny City a hat-trick of league cup triumphs.
‘Winning is great’: Pep Guardiola hails Man City’s incredible consistency
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Toughen up, Tottenham
Tottenham’s hopes of finishing in the top four of the Premier League suffered a setback yesterday when they lost 3-2 at home to Wolves, and the Daily Express and the Independent report on Jose Mourinho’s scathing assessment of his side.
“Mourinho: nice guys finish last” is the headline in the Indy, describing how Spurs twice surrendered the lead against their visitors with Matt Doherty, Diogo Jota and Raul Jimenez scoring for Wolves and Steven Bergwijn and Serge Aurier netting for the north London outfit.
“I think we are too good, we are too nice and that was the only thing that made a difference in the game,” lamented Mourinho.
“I cannot complain to the players about the spirit, about their fighting, I can complain about some psychological characteristics that is not easy to change… we don’t have that aggression, that ruthlessness.”
Solskjaer backs De Gea
The defeat leaves Tottenham in seventh spot on 40 points, while Wolves move into sixth on 42 points, the same number as Manchester United, who were held to a 1-1 draw by Everton.
The game was noticeable for another mistake by United keeper David De Gea, which Metro describes on its back page as a “clanger”.
De Gea’s gaffe handed Everton the lead - Bruno Fernandes levelled for United - but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is quoted by Metro saying that the Spanish stopper “remains the best in the world”.
The Daily Star’s focus from Goodison Park is the red card received by Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti for venting his fury at officials after his side had a goal ruled out by the video assistant referee.
Wilder wants Fury trilogy
The Times, Daily Star and the Independent report that Deontay Wilder has officially triggered his rematch clause with Tyson Fury, scuppering the fervent hopes of UK fight fans to see an all-British bout between the Gypsy King and Anthony Joshua.
Fury demolished Wilder last week in Las Vegas to win the WBC heavyweight belt, and the talk was of a summer showdown between the two British bruisers, but The Times says that won’t now happen “until the end of the year at the earliest”.
It will also be dependent on Fury seeing off Wilder again, in a bout which is likely to take place in the United States in July.
Today’s sport headlines
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