Birmingham City v Bristol City

A DAY TO REMEMBER
BRISTOL CITY
The first meeting between Bristol City and
Manchester United in 37 years was always
going to be an occasion. The Robins beating
the Red Devils at Ashton Gate for the first time
since 1974 and securing a place in the Carabao Cup
Semi-Finals, that makes Wednesday 20 December
2017 a day to remember.
Lee Johnson’s side were going along very nicely
as autumn turned to winter. Heading into the plum
tie on Severnside they had won seven of their last 10
games in all competitions, including a 4-1 thumping
of Crystal Palace to reach the quarter-finals for
the first time since 1989. This elimination of the
Eagles made it three successive Premier League
opponents they had knocked out of the tournament
after they had seen off Watford and Stoke City in
Rounds Two and Three respectively.
However, United, second in the Premier
League, were a totally different proposition and
arrived as the League Cup holders having beaten
Southampton 3-2 at Wembley Stadium in February’s
final. They were also led by a manager, Jose
Mourinho, who had lifted the trophy four times,
whilst Bristol City would have to become only the
second team from a lower division to see off four
top-flight teams in one League Cup campaign after
Sheffield Wednesday managed the feat in 1990/91.
There was, though, something brewing in the
24 | BLUES NEWS BIRMINGHAM CITY V BRISTOL CITY