Manchester City return to action at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night against Newcastle United in a bid to reach their first Carabao Cup final since winning the trophy in 2021.Last time out saw Ci...
Manchester City return to action at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night against Newcastle United in a bid to reach their first Carabao Cup final since winning the trophy in 2021.
Last time out saw City held in a deflating 2-2 draw against Tottenham as Thomas Frank’s side clawed back to claim a point following capitulation from those of a Sky Blue persuasion. The Lilywhites were bizarrely passive in the first half, suiting Guardiola’s side as they dominated the ball and maintained sustained pressure on Guglielmo Vicario’s goal.
Eventually, the Blues were rewarded as a precise strike from Rayan Cherki found the far corner from just inside the 18-yard box, giving the visitors the lead on 11 minutes in rather impressive fashion.
The deficit was doubled with just seconds remaining of the first 45 minutes as Spurs gave the ball away carelessly, allowing Bernardo Silva to feed the ball to City’s in-form January recruit Antoine Semenyo, who lifted a composed finish over the head of Vicario.
The half that followed can only be described as a capitulation, as the infamous Tottenham Hotspur Stadium provided City with a torrid time yet again. In comparison to the first half, it was night and day as Thomas Frank’s side appeared to be the ones with impetus and desire, whilst the Citizens gave possession away cheaply far too many times.
Pep Guardiola’s players were punished ruthlessly for mistakes with two goals in 17 minutes of each other from former Bournemouth striker Dominic Solanke, including a scorpion kick for his second, which drew Tottenham level and shattered all the previous work done by the visitors. In truth, if not for the goalkeeping heroics of Gianluigi Donnarumma, they may well have walked away empty-handed.
City now shift focus to cup action as the prospect of a Carabao Cup final is on the horizon, with Newcastle visiting the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night aiming to conjure a comeback from a 2-0 aggregate scoreline.
Manchester City have not progressed to a final in this competition since the 2020/21 campaign, which saw Guardiola’s men lift the trophy for a fourth consecutive season, defeating Tottenham 1-0 courtesy of an Aymeric Laporte header.
Newcastle travel to Manchester in rather poor form, winless in their last three across competitions and most recently being on the receiving end of a disappointing 4-1 defeat at Anfield against the defending league champions Liverpool.
In regard to availability, Josko Gvardiol, John Stones, Mateo Kovacic, Jeremy Doku and Savinho all remain in the medical room for this clash, while Rayan Cherki was forced off against Tottenham and it remains to be seen if the Frenchman will be available.
Ruben Dias also returned to training on Monday, but whether the Portugal international is fit enough to be involved for this fixture is unknown. Marc Guehi is unavailable due to a time restriction that meant players had to be available for their second club before the first leg. Should City reach the final, the Englishman will also have to sit out.
Here is how we predict Pep Guardiola will line-up his side for what could potentially be the penultimate contest in this season’s Carabao Cup for Manchester City!
Predicted XI
Between the sticks, James Trafford is expected to return to fulfil his role as designated goalkeeper in domestic cups. The Englishman perhaps has a right to feel aggrieved in terms of minutes after being displaced by Gianluigi Donnarumma earlier but regardless, Trafford has remained incredibly professional and excelled when presented with opportunities.
At right-back, arguably one of City’s contenders for Player of the Season so far, Matheus Nunes looks set to make his fourth successive start as the midfielder-turned-defender continues to make the position his own. He may not have had his best game last time out, but his quality is undeniable.
Abdudokir Khusanov will occupy the right side of central defence as the Uzbek continues to improve week-by-week, challenging the media’s negative perception of him and slotting in superbly since unfortunate injuries to Josko Gvardiol and Ruben Dias.
Despite the calamitous second-half on Sunday, Manchester City’s No.45 is one of the very few who could hold their heads high leaving North London – without him, the Blues may have struggled to even secure a point in the end.
His partner at the heart of defence is likely to be veteran Nathan Ake, whose vast experience is expected to be called upon in the absence of Marc Guehi. The No.6 will be optimistic of adding a second Carabao Cup medal to his cabinet after securing his first in 2021.
Completing the back-four, Nico O’Reilly is expected to retreat from a preferred position in midfield to utilise his defensive abilities and physical presence to try nullify Newcastle’s well-documented threat from wide.
That’s not to say the 20-year-old has been poor in midfield – quite the opposite – but given the defensive issues of late, it is crucial City remain as resolute as possible on Wednesday to avoid letting another two-goal advantage slip, and O’Reilly may be most effective at full-back.
In the engine room, a double-pivot that has a raft of experience in Rodri and Bernardo Silva is expected to pull the strings. Manchester City come into the game with a 2-0 lead, and therefore dictating tempo and keeping control of possession will be pivotal in ensuring Newcastle cannot find a way back into the tie.
Operating ahead of the pair of Manchester City captains, Dutchman Tijjani Reijnders should occupy the role of advanced midfielder, with his energy, passing range and box-crashing runs all being very valuable assets for Pep Guardiola.
The 27-year-old is going under the radar slightly in his first season at the club with 12 goal contributions. His minutes have been somewhat limited due to fierce competition for places, although Wednesday – with Rayan Cherki possibly unavailable – is a huge chance to prove himself.
Off the right, Phil Foden is expected to make a return. It is no secret the 25-year-old has struggled to make the impact the footballing world has seen him have previously, but given his ability, the Stockport-born star is almost impossible to overlook for Pep Guardiola for too long.
Leading the line, Omar Marmoush may get the nod against the Magpies, as Erling Haaland has played more than any other player in Manchester City’s ranks currently – undoubtedly having an impact on his performance level.
This is proven by the fact the Norwegian, who is typically merciless in front of goal, has found the net just once in his last seven games. Therefore, the contrasting player profile and fresh legs of the Egypt international may be an intelligent decision.
Finally, on the left, Antoine Semenyo should retain his position and the No.42 will be looking to pick up where he left off and continue his red-hot form with five goal contributions in five appearances since joining the club. Semenyo was the difference maker in the first-leg and will be hopeful of replicating a similar performance.
Starting XI: Trafford; Nunes, Khusanov, Ake, O’Reilly; Rodri, Bernardo (C), Reijnders; Foden, Marmoush, Semenyo.
Substitutes: Donnarumma, Lewis, Alleyne, Dias, Ait-Nouri, Nico, Nypan, Cherki, Haaland.
Category: General Sports
