Brentford (H) - Wed 17th Dec, 19:30 | EFL Cup | Pre-Match Thread

Match Result Prediction?

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Rotate a little but this is the Quarter Finals and so I really want us to win.

As much as I love the FA Cup, the Exeter game is the 3rd Round and so I would make 11 changes versus them more so than Wednesday night as we are 3 games from a Final and a good chance to win a major trophy - we didn't win anything last season.
 
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.db. said:
Didn’t know this was a 7.30pm kick off until I saw this thread. Busy time of year, easy thing to miss. Wonder how many that will catch out?
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As I was creating it, I typed in 20:00 before checking, just assumed.

Hopefully 19:30 doesn't catch any out!
 
There’ll be a lot of rotation but it will be good to go through and go all the way.

There are a number of players in our squad who’ve never won anything before in their careers or weren’t key players where they have. We also haven’t won that many big games over the last few seasons… in 2023-24 our record against the other Top6 sides was poor (P10 W2 D6 L2 12/30pts), we lost the FA Cup final to United, we went out of the CL to Madrid in the ¼ final, in 2024/25 our record against the other Top6 was average (P10 W4 D2 L4 14/30pts), we lost the FA Cup final to Palace and went out of the CL to Madrid in the Playoff.

A lot of our newer players need to get that winning habit against the best teams and on the biggest games under their belt… and I always think doing well in the EFL Cup is good for that.

So I hope we get through against Brentford.
 
Sam69 said:
I'll play Nunes and O'Reilly for this match, then I won't play them against West Ham. I'll give them 10 days off to recover until December 27th against Nottingham Forest.

One half for Dias and one half for Gvardiol. An opportunity to test O'Reilly in midfield to see how he performs.

.........................Trafford.......................

Nunes.......khusanov.... días..........Ake

.......................... O'Reilly........................
..............R.Lewis...........Reijnders........
O.Bobb.....................................Savinho
...........................Mukasa......................
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I'd have the same but start Haaland and take him off at 45/60 minutes if we are winning.
 
--------------------Trafford-------------------
Nunes-----Khusanov-----Ake------Lewis
-----------Reijnders-------Philips------------
-----------------------Cherki---‐-----------------
Bobb----------------D. Mukasa----------Savio


Oreilly in for Nunes at HT and Lewis moves to RB.

2-1 to City
 
EdersonsSmiley said:
I'd have the same but start Haaland and take him off at 45/60 minutes if we are winning.
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Risking Haaland in that competition isn't worth it. Maybe 20-30 minutes at most. Playing him a whole game IF we are not winning would be suicidal.

Part of our problems last season started with the league cup game at Spurs where some important players got injured and we had to endure two really shit months...
 
alexmcity said:
Risking Haaland in that competition isn't worth it. Maybe 20-30 minutes at most. Playing him a whole game IF we are not winning would be suicidal.

Part of our problems last season started with the league cup game at Spurs where some important players got injured and we had to endure two really shit months...
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If we don't start Haaland then our chances of winning are pretty slim. If you are not going to start him then you may as well rest all of the first XI with him and throw the game like Leverkusen.

I personally don't think we should throw the game so I would start Haaland.
 
EdersonsSmiley said:
If we don't start Haaland then our chances of winning are pretty slim. If you are not going to start him then you may as well rest all of the first XI with him and throw the game like Leverkusen.

I personally don't think we should throw the game so I would start Haaland.
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No need to exaggerate. We can beat Brentford without Haaland, plus they will make changes as well...

Since in football anything can happen, we might lose even if we start Haaland. So it's not worth the risk. I'm 99% sure Pep won't start him (but might use him off the bench at some point). And I'm 100% certain that Pep won't play him 90 minutes even if are losing the game.

If we lose Haaland due to an injury in the league cup, our chances in the PL and the CL will plummet.
 
EdersonsSmiley said:
I'd have the same but start Haaland and take him off at 45/60 minutes if we are winning.
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Haaland and Nico Gonzalez are the only two players we can't replace right now, given Rodri and Kovacic's absence and Marmoush's departure for the Africa Cup of Nations.

I'll only call on them if we're behind in the 60th minute or the score is level in the 70th minute.
 
samuelyeboah said:
full rotation for me. yeah would be nice to win the carabao but it is what it is. lads need rest. don't want to see nico g even on the bench. play kalvin if needed. mangala did his job in the carabao even during our best years.
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Mangala started some important league games in 17/18, including vs Spurs at the Etihad (4:1 City).
 
If we win, then we'll have the same rotational issues for the Semi Final especially as the First Leg is the midweek before the derby at the swamp, and coming just after the Exeter game.

Could be an interesting few weeks of second guessing Pep's selections
 
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Time for minutes under belts, I feel: Lewis, Ake, Savinho, Bobb et al. The Africans will have gone, I think. NOR, Nico G, Foden, Cherki must be rested.
 
A note in the club's pre match email says wrestling on at the Coop arena Wed evening, Could be busy around the stadium.
 
Trafford

Khusanov - Stones - Ake - O’Reilly
Rico Lewis
Reijnders - Mukasa
Savinho - McAidoo - Bobb

I think Pep will go a bit stronger than that because this is a trophy that we should be winning. Havent won it since Covid and actually quite enjoy winning it plus a Cup Final battering Arsenal at Wembley would be quite pleasant.

C’mon city.
 
Look what the senior MEN football reporter has uploaded to Brentford's website.

https://www.brentfordfc.com/en/news...er-city-v-brentford-carabao-cup-pep-guardiola

He thinks that City "have got a much deeper squad this year, deeper than Pep Guardiola has had at any point in his time at City". !!

Then he says that "Omar Marmoush is someone who is definitely going to play, and is probably going to be a bit of a key man."

What rubbish!
 
kunaguero10 said:
Surprised people are so blasé - where we are as a team atm no trophies are guaranteed currently, and the league could well be out of reach this year, so I want this trophy.

Plus, it's a new era for the team and many of our players haven't lifted silverware in a city shirt yet so I want a strong team. No need for 10 changes.
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Fucking glad someone else is taking that view - fucking hell - we seem to be on the verge of being football snobs

2 matches away from a Wembley final !!!

Yes - rest a few players - and be prepared to make substitution s if we are a couple up - but strong team
 
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