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Manchester City produced a controlled performance to beat Huddersfield Town 2-0 in the Carabao Cup and the coaching staff were delighted with the display.
Manchester City assistant coach Pep Lijnders told Huddersfield Town boss Lee Grant that he was "surprised" at how well the Blues had played in beating their League One opponents 2-0 in the Carabao Cup third round.
City controlled proceedings throughout at the Accu Stadium, clocking up 75% possession and scoring through Phil Foden and Savinho to book a fourth round fixture at Swansea City.
Pep Guardiola's side had 17 shots to five and never looked in trouble in West Yorkshire as they made it four games unbeaten since the international break.
After the game, former Liverpool assistant Lijnders had a chat with Grant and the Huddersfield Town chief revealed that the City coach had been impressed with the control they displayed in the game, despite making nine changes from the side that drew with Arsenal at the weekend.
"If you're Man City, it probably feels like the right result from their perspective, we have to be humble enough to accept that. They deserved the win," Grant said after the game.
"I spent five or 10 minutes there with Pep Lijnders, and I think even he was surprised at how well they played this evening, how well they executed their passing and connected their passages of play, how little they gave up the football, there was very little in the way of turnovers or sloppy moments them. I think that speaks to the level of opposition we were up against."
Guardiola had expected a set-piece barrage from the Terriers, but Grant credited City with not giving up many opportunities that allowed Huddersfield to get men into the box.
"It's really difficult to win set-pieces against Man City to start with," he said. "We talked about it, for sure, and talked about the importance of it, and that's both directions, because you know the quality we're up against with delivery and pace and power they gave to go and attack stuff.
"From a free-kick in our half, Lee Nicholls puts one high and long into their half and we get a knock down and Zepi (Zepiqueno Redmond) lands on it and we get a half moment from that. It doesn't feel like a huge situation but against Man City you have to take what you can get, when we are where we are in our curve, it could be a set-piece or direct kick from our goalkeeper.
"We would have loved to have generated more of those moments, but it's really not easy up against a well disciplined side."
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