Preview: Manchester City vs Watford – prediction, team news, lineups

A match that will bring back many painful memories for the visiting crowd, Manchester City And Watford cross each other on tuesday EFL Cup third round at the Etihad Stadium.

As the reigning Premier League champions compete in one of their favourite competitions – at least in terms of success under Pep Guardiola – at this stage the Hornets have already beaten MK Dons and Plymouth Argyle and are on a commanding draw.

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A competition that seemed a foregone conclusion in the early years of Guardiola’s Man City reign, the top division champions have yet to add an EFL Cup title to their palmares since their remarkable fourth straight triumph – and eighth in total – in the COVID-hit 2020-21 season.

The Citizens have traded in their EFL Cup medals in recent years for more sizable prizes in the Champions League and Club World Cup. However, they have clearly lost their knockout position in that competition and have only progressed as far as the quarter-finals since the start of the 2021-22 season.

Guardiola’s bid to regain EFL Cup dominance last year ended in memorable fashion at this particular hurdle, against Newcastle United. But they haven’t suffered two consecutive third-round exits since 1987. And the satisfaction from that weekend’s thrilling events probably still hasn’t worn off 48 hours later.

For more than 45 minutes of Sunday’s second half against Arsenal, the Gunners’ 10-man low block looked impenetrable, only for substitutes to come in John Stones to score Man City’s last ever Premier League goal in a thrilling 2-2 draw, keeping Guardiola’s men top of the table and ending their 13-match winning streak in the top flight.

Erling Haaland‘s record-breaking 100th Man City goal came before Stones’ chaos-inducing equaliser – as did Riccardo Calafiori And Gabriel Magellan‘s efforts in between – but the Scandinavian sensation will undoubtedly have to wait for number 101 as the hosts have to make do with just one full rest day.

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Now under the tutelage of a man who briefly made his mark on the red side of Manchester, Watford travel to the Etihad having lost their way somewhat under Tom Cleverleywho made a magnificent start before the month of September brought a month of sorrow.

The Hornets have won their first five league games under the former Manchester United midfielder, including a 5-0 victory over MK Dons and a 2-0 win over Plymouth Argyle in the earlier EFL Cup rounds to reach the third round for the first time since the 2021-22 season.

That two-goal win over Plymouth on August 27, however, is the Hornets’ most recent victory in any setting. They have taken just one point from three Championship games this month, losing to Sheffield United and Norwich City, either side of a home draw with Coventry City.

Saturday’s defeat to Norwich was a further disappointment for Cleverley, with their team being wiped out 4-1 by the Canaries, leaving them outside the top six and in eighth place. However, they are still just one point off the play-offs at this stage.

Both the September form book and the head-to-head record make for grim reading for Watford fans. Since holding the Citizens to a 1-1 draw in 2017, the Hornets have lost each of their last 15 games against merciless Man City, conceding a staggering 58 goals in the process, at a rate of almost four per game. If nothing else, the Hornets can at least expect Haaland, who has scored 100 goals, to be rested midweek.

Form Manchester City (all competitions):

Watford EFL Cup Form:

Watford form (all competitions):

Team news

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In what may become the most forgettable appearance of his career, Rodri went down twice in the weekend draw, once after a collision in the fifth second with Kai Havertz and then with an apparently serious knee injury, reportedly a devastating tear of his anterior cruciate ligament, which will end the season.

Despite Guardiola suggesting that Kevin De Bruyne (groin) could have been available for the clash with Arsenal, but the Belgian was reportedly not in the match selection and would not be allowed to be deployed again against a second division opponent. Oscar Bobb (leg) and Nathan Ake (thigh) are also pushed aside.

The City manager cannot rule out making 11 changes. He could also raid the club’s Under-21 ranks to fill his squad for Tuesday’s game, where the highly-rated player Nico O’Reilly could play an important role.

Meanwhile, Watford’s efforts against Norwich were not helped by two early defensive retreats as the goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann and central defender Francisco Sierra Alta were both substituted within minutes of each other in the first quarter of the match.

Watford have confirmed that both players’ muscle injuries are serious, but they will not be in Tuesday’s squad, so reserve goalkeeper Jonathan Bond And Ryan Porteous should be included in the team as replacements.

Kevin Keben (knee) and weekend goalscorer Ryan Andrews (hamstring) are also out of the question for the Hornets, while striker Daniel Jebbison is level in the cup, having played for Bournemouth in the second round before being loaned to Vicarage Road.

Possible Manchester City line-up:
Ortega; Lewis, Stones, Simpson-Pusey, Wilson-Esbrand; Nunes, Wright; O’Reilly, McAtee, Grealish; Foden

Possible Watford line-up:
Bond; Morris, Pollock, Porteus; Ebosele, Dele-Bashiru, Sissoko, Sema; Chakvetadze, Baah; Bayo

We say: Manchester City 2-0 Watford

Even with all the changes and opportunities given to young stars to impress, we expect Man City’s run of multiple goals in games against Watford to continue as the Citizens progress to the fourth round.

Cleverley Hornets are struggling at the moment and have picked up two defensive injuries at the most inopportune time. It is hard to imagine the visitors, who are in such good form, being able to do anything against a makeshift City team, who are still brimming with talent.

For a data analysis of the most likely outcomes, scorelines and more for this match, click here.

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