Manchester City will host Watford at the Etihad in the EFL Cup third round on Tuesday, with a spot in the fourth round on the line.
Manchester City will certainly be the favourites heading into the game against Watford, and they have enough quality to grind out a comfortable win here and reach the EFL Cup fourth round without breaking a sweat.
The reigning Premier League champions are coming into this contest on the back of a 2-2 draw against Arsenal, and they will look to get back to winning ways. The home team are full of confidence and momentum right now, and they are expected to field a full-strength eleven without much rotation this early in the season.
Manchester City are up against a struggling Watford side, who have failed to win their last three matches in all competitions. The Hornets have a massive challenge of themselves, and it will be interesting to see if they can respond.
The away team will be the underdogs heading into this game, and it remains to be seen whether they can pull off an upset. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides
Team News & Tactics
Manchester City
The home side will be without the services of Rodri, Kevin De Bruyne, Oscar Bobb, and Nathan Ake. Bobb is sidelined with a leg injury, Ake is ruled out with a thigh issue, De Bruyne has a groin problem, and Rodri could be out for a while with ligament damage.
Manchester City will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Ederson Moraes in goal. Rico Lewis and Josko Gvardiol will be deployed as the full-backs, and they will look to help out in the final third and keep things compact defensively. Manuel Akanji will start at the heart of the defence alongside Ruben Dias.
As for the midfield unit, Bernardo Silva will start alongside John Stones in the pivot. The England international will look to protect the back four and break up the opposition attacks in the absence of Rodri. Silva will look to add creativity and control.
Phil Foden will be deployed in the attacking midfield role, and he will look to create goalscoring opportunities with his passing and vision. Savinho and Jeremy Doku will be deployed in the wide areas here. Erling Haaland will lead the line for Manchester City vs Watford.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Ederson; Lewis, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol; Silva, Stones; Savinho, Foden, Doku; Haaland
Watford
Kevin Keben misses out for Watford due to a knee issue, while Daniel Jebbison is ineligible. The visitors will shape up in a 3-4-2-1 formation, with Jonathan Bond in goal. In the back three, Ryan Porteous, Mattie Pollock, and James Morris will look to keep things compact and help their team build from the back.
Ryan Andrews and Ken Sema will start in the wide areas, and they will look to keep the Manchester City wingers at bay. They will also look to help out during counter-attacking opportunities. Imran Louza will start in the midfield alongside Tom-Dele Bashiru. They will look to break down the Manchester City attacks and keep things ticking in the middle.
Tom Ince and Kwadwo Baah will start as the attacking midfielders here. They will look to add goals and creativity to the side. The two players are likely to drift into the wide areas from time to time as well. Finally, Vakoun Bayo will lead the line for Watford against Manchester City.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Bond; Porteous, Pollock, Morris; Andrews, Louza, Dele Bashiru, Sema; Ince, Baah; Bayo
Key Stats
- Manchester City have won their last 15 matches against Watford in all competitions.
- Manchester City have scored at least two goals in their last 15 matches against Watford in all competitions.
- Manchester City have seen over 2.5 goals in their last ten matches against Watford in all competitions. 32 goals have been scored in the last six matches between these two teams.
- Watford have scored in each of their last two matches against Manchester City.
- Watford have failed to win three of their last six matches in all competitions.
Player to Watch
Erling Haaland
The Manchester City striker is in exceptional form right now, and he has 15 goals in 10 appearances across all competitions. He will look to dismantle the Watford defence here and given their recent form, the visitors will struggle to contain the Norwegian striker.
The 24-year-old is our key player to watch out for, and he could cause all sorts of problems for Watford in the final third with his movement, finishing, physicality, and link-up play. Watford will have to keep him quiet if they want to get anything out of this contest.
Prediction
Manchester City 4-1 Watford
The home team are in fine form right now, and they are full of confidence. They will look to get the job done in front of their fans, and they should be a rather straightforward victory for Manchester City.
The gulf in class between the two sides is immense and Watford will struggle to contain the Premier League champions. Manchester City will look to put the away defence to the sword, and they have the quality to punish them for their defensive frailties. A comprehensive victory for the home team is on the cards.