EFL Cup | Third Round

Sep 24, 2024 at 7.45pm UK

Etihad Stadium

Man City vs Watford

Match preview

A competition that used to be a foregone conclusion during the earlier years of Guardiola's Man City reign, the top-flight champions are yet to add another EFL Cup crown to their tally since a remarkable fourth on the bounce - and their eighth overall - in the COVID-affected 2020-21 season.

The Citizens have swapped EFL Cup medals for shinier Champions League and Club World Cup accolades over the past couple f years, although they have evidently lost their knockout nous in this competition, only getting as far as the quarter-finals since the start of the 2021-22 season.

Guardiola's bid to regain EFL Cup supremacy last year memorably ended at this exact hurdle to Newcastle United, but not since 1987 have they suffered back-to-back third-round eliminations, and the high from the weekend's absorbing events may not have worn off a little over 48 hours later.

For over 45 minutes of Sunday's second half with Arsenal, the Gunners' 10-man low block appeared impenetrable, only for substitute John Stones to bundle home Man City's latest-ever Premier League goal on record in an engrossing 2-2 draw, one which keeps Guardiola's men at the summit while simultaneously ending their 13-match winning run in the top flight.

Erling Haaland's record-breaking 100th Man City goal preceded Stones's bedlam-inducing leveller - as well as Riccardo Calafiori and Gabriel Magalhaes's efforts in between - but the Scandinavian sensation will surely have to wait for number 101 as the hosts work with just one full day of rest.

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

Indeed, the Hornets won each of their first five competitive matches under the ex-Manchester United midfielder, including a 5-0 dismantling of MK Dons and 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.

However, that two-goal triumph over Plymouth on August 27 represents the Hornets' most recent win in any setting, as they have only taken a paltry 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 particularly chastening for Cleverley, whose side were swept aside 4-1 by the Canaries to leave them outside of the top six in eighth position, albeit still just one point outside of the playoffs at this early stage.

Both the September form book and head-to-head record makes for extremely grim reading for the Watford faithful. 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 at a rate of nearly four per game. If nothing else, the Hornets can at least expect 100-goal Haaland to be rested in midweek.

Recent Performance

Manchester City form (all competitions):WWWWDD

Watford EFL Cup form:WW

Watford form (all competitions):WWWLDL

Injuries and suspensions

Manchester City

16 Rodri

52 Oscar Bobb

Watford

Kevin Keben

Possible starting lineups for both sides

Manchester City(4-3-3)

31Ederson(GK)

2Walker(DR)

3Dias(DC)

25Akanji(DC)

24Gvardiol(DL)

19Gündogan(MC)

20Silva(MC)

8 Kovacic(MC)

26Savinho(FWR)

9Haaland(FW)

47Foden(FWL)

Watford(3-4-2-1)

1Bachmann(GK)

3Sierralta(DC)

22Morris(DC)

6Pollock(DC)

45Andrews(DMR)

12Sema(DML)

17Sissoko(MC)

24Dele-Bashiru(MC)

8Chakvetadze(AMC)

11Vata(AMC)

18Jebbison(FW)