In this congested season like no other, coaches are typically using the English League Cup to rest and rotate key players. Not Pep Guardiola. The Manchester City manager fielded all of his top available stars against Burnley on Wednesday in a bid to stay on course for a fourth straight title in the competition, and it paid off.
Raheem Sterling scored twice, offseason signing Ferran Torres added the third, and Kevin De Bruyne ran the game in City’s 3-0 win in a one-sided last-16 match.
Manchester United, Everton and Newcastle also advanced to the quarterfinals, joining Tottenham after its penalty-shootout win over Chelsea.
Determined to win any trophy going, Guardiola might have also wanted City to rediscover some rhythm after a wild 5-2 loss to Leicester in the Premier League on Sunday — one of his heaviest defeats as a manager. His team did just that, with Sterling…