Soccer: Slick Man City sweep into League Cup final

West Ham striker Carlton Cole (left) heads the ball under pressure from Man City defender Joleon Lescott as City cruise into the League Cup final. Photo / AP

Manchester City swept into the League Cup final with a ruthless 3-0 win at West Ham yesterday which completed a 9-0 aggregate victory in a brutally one-sided semifinal.

Manuel Pellegrini's side had already effectively booked their place at Wembley after winning the first leg 6-0 at Eastlands, but they didn't take it easy in the return at Upton Park.

Alvaro Negredo and Sergio Aguero put City two goals up before half-time in east London and Negredo struck again after the break to cap another clinical display from one of the most potent strike-forces in Europe.

City will face arch rivals Manchester United in the final on March 2 if David Moyes' side can overturn a 1-2 deficit in the second leg of their semifinal against Sunderland at Old Trafford today.

"It was a very professional performance. It was easy to think the game was finished from the 6-0 in the first leg, but it was important to reach the final winning all the games," Pellegrini said after his team had sealed the biggest winning margin in a League Cup semifinal. "Wembley is always important. To me it is the same whoever we play there."

With City in possession of a seemingly unassailable advantage, Pellegrini made eight changes from the side that beat Cardiff in the Premier League on Saturday.

The impressive depth of City's expensively assembled squad was on full display as the Chilean was still able to field the likes of Negredo, Aguero, Jesus Navas and Fernandinho.

Hammers boss Sam Allardyce handed Andy Carroll his first start since the final game of last season after the England striker's long struggle with a foot injury.

Given the inevitability of City's progress to Wembley, it was hardly surprising to see vast swathes of empty claret and blue seats around Upton Park.

The 20,000 stay-away fans couldn't be blamed and their decision looked even wiser as West Ham's creaky defence was breached with less than three minutes played.

City's teenage Portuguese winger Marcos Lopes had time and space to float a cross into the six-yard box, where Spanish striker Negredo rose completely unmarked to power a header past Jussi Jaaskelainen from close range.

The muted City celebrations suggested even they were slightly embarrassed at the ease of the goal and their path to Wembley.

- AAP