Yahoo Sports Manchester City vs Watford – Match Preview and team news
Manchester City begin their Carabao Cup campaign with a home clash against Watford in round three.
The Citizens have won six of the last 11 editions of the League Cup and now stand at eight wins in this competition overall, with only Liverpool (10) having lifted the trophy on more occasions.
Pep Guardiola’s team head into this contest top of the Premier League table, after John Stones’ 98th-minute equaliser against Arsenal preserved their unbeaten start to the season. A frustrating afternoon against Arsenal was compounded by Rodri’s early injury and the Spain midfielder looks set for an extended spell on the sidelines with a knee issue.
Manchester City vs Watford – Match Preview and team news
Form
Manchester City: WWWDD
Manchester City remain unbeaten across all competitions this season though head into Tuesday’s tie after successive draws. Inter Milan held firm to earn a point at the Etihad in their Champions League opener, before 10-man Arsenal dug in to draw with the Premier League champions at the weekend.
Erling Haaland scored the opener against Arsenal to continue his blistering start to the season. His ninth-minute goal was his 10th in five Premier League games this season, a record for this stage of a campaign.
Hornets on the horizon! ⏳
⏱️ #AsahiSuperDry pic.twitter.com/c8EyZiT4Dn
— Manchester City (@ManCity) September 23, 2024
Haaland is expected to be rested for the clash with Watford, though the Citizens lack alternatives at centre-forward following the sale of Julian Alvarez to Atletico Madrid. Phil Foden, who came off the bench against Arsenal, could be used further forward, while Ilkay Gundogan is also an option as a false nine.
Dealing with Rodri’s absence looks set to be the major headache for Guardiola with the influential midfielder expected to miss the remainder of the season, according to various reports. His influence on the side is well-documented and City will need the likes of Gundogan and Mateo Kovacic to fill the void.
Watford: WWWLD
Watford have made a solid start to the season under former midfielder Tom Cleverley, with the Hornets sitting just a point outside the Championship play-off places. Cleverley took charge of his former side in the summer in his first managerial role and opened the league campaign with three consecutive wins.
Progress has also been made in the Carabao Cup with relative ease, having thrashed MK Dons 5-0 in the first round, before beating Plymouth 2-0 to set up a round three clash with the Premier League champions.
Our next test: the @PremierLeague leaders ✊ pic.twitter.com/Syzge2hVpd
— Watford Football Club (@WatfordFC) September 23, 2024
At the weekend, Watford drew 1-1 with Coventry City at Vicarage Road. Tom Dele-Bashiru’s equaliser cancelled out an early opener from Ellis Simms for the visitors.
Last Meeting
Manchester City 5-1 Watford, 23rd April 2022, Premier League
This is not a fixture that has been kind to Watford in recent times. Manchester City have won the last 15 meetings between the sides, scoring 58 goals and conceding just eight in the process.
The last meeting saw Gabriel Jesus star with an incredible individual performance, as the Brazilian scored four goals and made a fifth as City thrashed Watford 5-1 at the Etihad.
Watford’s last win over Manchester City came in the second tier in 1989.
Predicted Lineups
Manchester City: Ortega; Lewis, Stones, Simpson-Pusey, Wilson-Esbrand; Nunes, Wright; O’Reilly, McAtee, Grealish; Foden
Watford: Bond; Morris, Pollock, Porteous; Ebosele, Dele-Bashiru, Sissoko, Sema; Chakvetadze, Baah; Bayo
Who is the referee?
David Webb,
What TV channel is Manchester City vs Watford on?
The game will be broadcast on Sky Sports+.
What time is kick off?
Kick-off between Manchester City and Watford at the Etihad is 19:45 BST.
Odds
Manchester City – 1/8
Draw – 17/2
Watford – 16/1
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