Manchester City begin their EFL Cup defence at the Etihad, as they welcome Championship outfit Norwich City.
Enzo Maresca experienced the intensity of the Manchester derby first-hand on Sunday as Manchester City secured a controversial victory at Old Trafford. The main talking point was Erling Haaland’s goal, with replays suggesting that Enzo Fernandez was in an offside position and clearly interfering with play.
Although the VAR officials appeared to make the wrong decision, Maresca made the right choices on the pitch, particularly as his team played with 10 men for more than two-thirds of the match. Manchester City restricted the hosts to very few chances and secured a fortunate victory, maintaining their perfect record in the Premier League alongside Arsenal.
Maresca will now turn his attention to defending the EFL Cup, which Manchester City won last season after defeating Arsenal in the final at Wembley. The Etihad will host the opening fixture of their campaign, with Championship side Norwich City the visitors.
Norwich’s mixed start to the Championship season has not been reflected in their EFL Cup campaign. Victories over MK Dons and Cardiff City, by 4-1 and 2-1 scorelines respectively, have secured their progress to the third round and set up a difficult away test against Manchester City.
The Canaries arrive after a 4-3 defeat to Middlesbrough, a result that left them 12th in the Championship. Philippe Clement’s team have won three and lost four of their seven league matches this season, although they have won four of their last six games in all competitions.
Team News & Tactics
Manchester City
Enzo Maresca is expected to rotate his squad significantly for this EFL Cup fixture, with several fringe players in line for starts. Jeremy Doku is the only injury doubt, and the Italian manager is unlikely to risk the Belgian winger. He could even wait until after the international break before bringing Doku back into action.
Phil Foden remains suspended following his red card in the Manchester derby. Maresca could hand competitive debuts to goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli and winger Allan, while Abdukodir Khusanov, Rayan Ait-Nouri, and Rico Lewis could also feature in defence. Marc Guehi may retain his place to provide some balance.
The midfield could be completely different from the weekend, with Ayyoub Bouaddi and Mateo Kovacic likely to start. Rayan Cherki should operate in the advanced role, while Erling Haaland may lead the line. Manchester City have few other natural options in attack, although Antoine Semenyo could also feature.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Rulli; Lewis, Khusanov, Guehi, Ait-Nouri; Kovacic, Bouaddi; Allan, Cherki, Semenyo; Haaland
Norwich City
Philippe Clement must deal with several injury concerns, while changes are also expected at the Etihad Stadium. Gabriel Forsyth, Mirko Topic, Ali Ahmed, and Lucien Mahovo are all unavailable for the away side.
Daniel Grimshaw could return in goal and make his second EFL Cup appearance of the season. Clement is expected to retain the 4-2-3-1 formation rather than adopt a more defensive approach against Manchester City.
Ruairi McConville and Jose Cordoba are likely to form the central defensive partnership, with Jack Stacey and Ben Chrisene in the full-back positions. Jacob Wright and Pelle Mattsson should manage the midfield, while Oscar Schwartau operates in the advanced role.
Clement could leave top scorer Mohamed Toure on the bench and instead start Paris Maghoma, Javon Makama, and Anthony Musaba in the attacking positions.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Grimshaw; Stacey, McConville, Cordoba, Chrisene; Wright, Mattsson; Maghoma, Schwartau, Musaba; Makama
Key Stats
- Manchester City have won their last five matches in all competitions.
- Manchester City are nine-time EFL Cup winners and the reigning champions.
- Norwich City have won four of their last six matches in all competitions.
- Norwich City have conceded 14 goals without scoring in their last three meetings with Manchester City.
Player to Watch
Ayyoub Bouaddi
The young Moroccan international attracted attention through his performances for Lille and the national team. He has made a promising start to life in Manchester, and the match against Norwich City will provide an important opportunity to demonstrate that he can handle midfield responsibilities without the support of more established players such as Elliot Anderson or Enzo Fernandez.
Bouaddi has the ability to become an important member of the squad, and Enzo Maresca will not want any passengers in his team when difficult periods arrive during the long season ahead. Matches such as this are vital for players like Bouaddi to establish themselves. However, this remains only the beginning of his development at Manchester City.
Prediction
Manchester City 4-0 Norwich City
Norwich face an extremely difficult challenge, possibly one of the toughest away trips any team in this round will undertake. Given Manchester City’s quality and current form, the Canaries appear unlikely to secure a positive result at the Etihad Stadium.
Manchester City will be eager to begin their EFL Cup defence with a convincing victory. Even with a rotated lineup, Enzo Maresca’s side possess enough attacking quality to overwhelm Norwich. With the expected attacking setup, Manchester City could power past the Canaries, and a victory by four goals or more is a realistic possibility.