Willy Caballero Hopes Man City Bounce Back In League
Soccer News: Willy Caballero is looking to turn up the heat in the Barclays Premier League title race after helping leaders Manchester City end a rare losing streak.
The 33-year-old Argentinian goalkeeper was handed his first start of the season in Tuesday night’s 4-1 Capital One Cup third-round defeat of Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.
But while he and his team-mates will allow themselves 48 hours to reflect upon a job well done on Wearside, they will swiftly turn their attention to Saturday’s league trip to Tottenham and the business of extending their two-point lead over derby rivals Manchester United at the top of the table.
Caballero told CityTV: “We need to try to do the same in the league now, but we need to enjoy this game because when we lost the last two games, we were really unhappy with some mistakes and with other things.”
“Now we have one or two days to enjoy this victory, and then we will be thinking of the next game in the league.”
“We needed this win because we were coming from two defeats, so we needed to start this new week, this new tournament with a win, and we are happy because it is important for every player to get this result.”
Man City were indebted to their £140million strike force as they raced into a 4-0 lead within 36 minutes of kick-off at Sunderland.
Sergio Aguero‘s second goal of the season, a 10th-minute penalty, set the ball rolling before Kevin De Bruyne‘s strike, a Vito Mannone own goal and a fourth from Raheem Sterling had the tie won by half-time.
Ola Toivonen pulled one back for the home side with seven minutes remaining as the visitors coasted through the second half on a night when the club’s £55million summer investment in De Bruyne looked to be money well spent.
Caballero said: “It’s good for us. He’s a new signing – it’s good for him and it’s good for us, and also for Kun (Aguero), for Raheem, everyone.
“When they score for us, it’s important because they will grow in confidence. It’s fantastic for us and we have to keep in the same way now.”
Black Cats head coach Dick Advocaat will hope his side continue in anything but the same way after seeing them slip to a fifth defeat from eight games in all competitions.
Their goals-against tally stands at 20 – 17 of those have come in the first half of games.
However, the veteran Dutchman was far from dismayed by the performance, blaming individual errors rather than collective failings for the defeat.
He remains confident they can get themselves out of trouble in the league, where they currently prop up the table.
Goalscorer Toivonen said: “I think so also, but we just need a lucky bounce or a really, really good team effort to get us through this.
“It’s no stress yet, the season is very, very long, so it’s no stress.”
That, however, maybe easier said than done in the short-term as they prepare for Saturday’s trip to second-placed United.
Toivonen said: “To go into United away, you need to dare to play, otherwise you are defending, defending, defending for 90 minutes. You need a lot of lucky bounces there.
“Today, they were just better, City. I think we did quite well, but they are too good, so if you give them a little finger, they take the whole hand from you.”
