City's players were put under a magnifying glass as they went down to defeat in a closely fought match. Although a previous party had been criticized by some fans for being over the top, the night's celebrations appeared to have left the players in a "drunken" state. Spanish midfielder Lodi Casciandi, the star of a 74-game unbeaten streak, also suffered a defeat, knowing that the last time he missed a game due to injury was last February.
Manchester City hosted an all-night party after four consecutive games in the Premier League until 5 a.m., when players such as Kialisch, Lodi and Aynincharant left in a drunken stupor. It was a final in which the City players were unusually out of sorts and fans couldn't help but blame them for partying too much. However, Coach Kier responded after the game saying, "The problem was that the players had not recovered enough from the intense training that started last Sunday, with only one game every six days. Choosing this time to celebrate and yet it led to a loss is on me and my players need to adjust."
Striker Einin Sharant not only ended Lodi's unbeaten run, but also broke his goal drought in finals. The Norwegian striker has failed to score in six finals since joining City, including one UEFA Cup final, two Premier League Cup finals, two Community Shields, and one European Super Cup, playing the full match in five of them. Such performances have once again raised questions about his ability.
