After some emphatic Premier League action, Manchester City now gears up for the EFL Carabao Cup. Starting their journey directly from the third round, the first challenge will be presented to the Sky Blues by Watford FC. Either side who wishes to progress to the next stage of the competition would be required to simply win the fixture, considering it’s a knockout round.

Things have been blatantly vague for Pep Guardiola and Co. after their opening UEFA Champions League fixture against Inter Milan ended in a stalemate last week. Sunday night saw the Citizens endure a 2-2 draw against Arsenal, as the Gunners put a full-stop to the reigning champions’ 4-game winning streak in the Premier League.

Meanwhile, Watford has also been doing well so far in the Championship. In six games, they have secured three victories, a draw, and two losses to secure 8th place in the table with a tally of 10 points. Subsequently, their EFL Cup journey began with a stomping 5-0 win over MK Dons in the first round, followed by a 2-0 win over Plymouth Argyle.

Manchester City vs Watford: Team News

Injuries

Manchester City

Injuries have once again started to take a toll on Manchester City. The latest blow comes to Rodri, who was forced off the pitch within 21 minutes into the Arsenal clash. The injury occurred while trying to get ahead of Partey and move toward the near post when his leg got caught in the turf. It seemed unlikely to continue, forcing Pep to replace the UEFA Euro winner with Mateo Kovacic.

Notably, during the post-match presser, when asked about an update regarding the Spaniard’s injury, Guardiola didn’t give a convincing answer. “I don’t know yet. I didn’t ask the doctors. He is strong. He leaves the pitch and his action is he felt something, otherwise, he would stay there,” he said.

Speaking of other injuries, Kevin De Bruyne, who was left out of the Arsenal clash due to a groin injury, though may be fit to face Watford, won’t be in the squad to have rest. Additionally, Oscar Bobb and Nathan Ake are also sidelined due to their respective injuries.

Watford

Meanwhile, everything went wrong for Watford during their 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Norwich. Both goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann and center-back Francisco Sierralta were forced off due to injury within minutes of each other in the opening stages. The severity of their injuries is still uncertain, but it’s unlikely either will feature at the Etihad due to the short recovery time. Additionally, Kevin Keben (knee) is ruled out, and striker Daniel Jebbison is cup-tied, having already appeared for Bournemouth in the second round prior to his loan to Vicarage Road.

Potential lineups

Manchester City [4-2-3-1]: Ortega; Lewis, Stones, Simpson-Pusey, Wilson-Esbrand; Nunes, Wright; O’Reilly, McAtee, Grealish; Foden

Watford [3-4-3]: Bond; Morris, Pollock, Porteous; Andrews, Dele-Bashiru, Sissoko, Sema; Chakvetadze, Baah; Bayo

Head-to-head record and prediction for Man City vs Watford

Total matches: 33

Won by Man City: 22

Draws: 5

Won by Watford: 6

Both sides are grappling with their respective injuries. Yet, comparing the squads of both sides, it’s the Sky Blues who have the edge over the Hornets. Hence we reckon, it’s the end of the journey for Tom Cleverley’s side in the EFL Cup as Pep Guardiola and Co. are favorites to go ahead. The scoreline will be Manchester City 3-1 Watford.

Watch Manchester City vs Watford on TV Channels and livestream

Manchester City vs Watford will kick off at 7:45 pm BST. Fans in the United States can catch the action live on CBS and Paramount+ channels and their respective live-streaming platforms. Meanwhile, for United Kingdom viewers, Sky Sports+ is the place to tune in while the Sky Go app promises good live stream coverage.