Manchester City will begin their Carabao Cup campaign with a high-profile clash against Chelsea on Wednesday, looking to start off with a win.
The 2022/23 Carabao Cup will see all the top English clubs enter the competition in the third round. And the marquee fixture this midweek will see Manchester City welcome Chelsea to the Etihad on Wednesday night.
Pep Guardiola’s come into this contest on the back of three consecutive Premier League wins, the latest of which came against Fulham. And they will be full of confidence heading into this game.
On the other hand, Chelsea head into this game on the back of a defeat to Arsenal. And it remains to be seen whether they can bounce back strongly from the latest setback, their second successive Premier League defeat.
The Blues are without a win in the last four domestic matches, and they will have to improve significantly in order to grind out a win at the Etihad stadium. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between Chelsea and Manchester City.
Team News & Tactics
Manchester City
PEP 💬 He (Phillips) will be with the squad (tomorrow), yeah. #ManCity
— Manchester City (@ManCity) November 8, 2022
PEP 💬 He (Haaland) is still not perfect. We will see tomorrow and Saturday. He is getting better… We will see – in a week, ten days anything can happen.#ManCity
— Manchester City (@ManCity) November 8, 2022
The Premier League champions will be without some of their first-team players for this game. However, they have the strength in depth to grind a win at home. Joao Cancelo is suspended after he picked up a red card at the weekend. Kyle Walker is still recovering from his knock and will miss out here.
Manchester City are expected to continue with their usual 4-3-3 system, and Pep Guardiola will look to make some changes in order to keep his players fresh.
Stefan Ortega is likely to start in goal ahead of Ederson Moraes. As for the defence, Rico Lewis, who made history last week, and Sergio Gomez could start as the full-backs. Ruben Dias will partner Aymeric Laporte at the heart of the home side’s back four.
In the midfield, Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva could be rested. Ilkay Gundogan is expected to start centrally with Phil Foden and Cole Palmer either side of him. The two youngsters will look to add creativity and flair in the middle, while the German will anchor the midfield.
In the front three, Riyad Mahrez and Jack Grealish will get an opportunity to impress in the wide roles. Finally, Julian Alvarez is set to lead the line after impressing with his cameos, with Erling Haaland getting some rest.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Ortega; Lewis, Dias, Laporte, Gomez; Palmer, Gundogan, Foden; Mahrez, Alvarez, Grealish
Chelsea
The Blues have a number of absentees for this game and Graham Potter’s side will be weakened substantially. N’Golo Kante is a long-term absentee, while Kepa Arrizabalaga is still recovering from a foot injury.
In addition, Ben Chilwell, Wesley Fofana and Reece James will not feature for Chelsea until after the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and youngster Carney Chukwuemeka is out with a hamstring injury.
Watch Graham Potter preview our game with Manchester City. https://t.co/9hbPhMEcPC
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) November 8, 2022
Potter is likely to line Chelsea up in a 4-3-3 as well, with Edouard Mendy in goal. Cesar Azpilicueta, Trevoh Chalobah, Kalidou Koulibaly and Marc Cucurella are expected to complete the back four. The Blues will need their defenders in top form here.
Fringe players like Denis Zakaria, Conor Gallagher and Ruben Loftus-Cheek could get the chance to impress here in a midfield three.
Armando Broja is likely to lead the line with Christian Pulisic and Mason Mount deployed either side of him. It remains to be seen whether the young striker can make his mark here and force his way into Potter’s starting elevens in the Premier League.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Mendy; Azpilicueta, Chalobah, Koulibaly, Cucurella; Loftus-Cheek, Zakaria, Gallagher; Pulisic, Broja, Mount
Key Stats
- Manchester City have won their last two meetings against Chelsea.
- Chelsea have failed to score in their last two meetings against Manchester City.
- Four of the last five meetings between these two sides have ended with a score of 1-0.
- Chelsea have failed to win four of their last six matches in all competitions.
- Manchester City are unbeaten in their last five matches in all competitions.
Player to Watch
Julian Alvarez
The Manchester City striker has not had an extended run in the side owing to Erling Haaland’s unstoppable form. However, Alvarez has proven his worth during his cameos, the most recent coming against Sevilla last week.
Alvarez is a handful with his pace, flair and movement. He will cause all sorts of problems for the Chelsea defence. The Argentine striker should relish the chance to make an impression against a big club like Chelsea.
Prediction
Manchester City 2-0 Chelsea
Manchester City are the team in form. They have the quality to grind out a result at home and will be the favourites here. Chelsea are lacking in confidence and form right now. This will be an uphill battle for the visitors. A home win is on the cards this week. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-0 victory for Pep Guardiola and his charges.
