Manchester City head into this Carabao Cup quarter-final in formidable form, with Pep Guardiola’s side showing few signs of slowing down across competitions. Sunday’s 3-0 Premier League victory over Crystal Palace marked their fifth consecutive win in all competitions and reinforced their growing momentum at a crucial stage of the season, Softfootball reports.
This is City’s first appearance at this stage of the competition since the 2023, and having lifted the trophy eight times in their history, expectations remain high at the Etihad Stadium.
Their route to the last eight has been relatively straightforward, dispatching Huddersfield 2-0 before seeing off Swansea 3-1. Confidence is further boosted by their impressive 2-1 UEFA Champions League victory away at Real Madrid last week, a result that underlined their ability to perform on the biggest stages. City have also made the Etihad a fortress in this competition, winning each of their last five Carabao Cup home games, and they will be keen to extend that run as they chase another domestic trophy.
Brentford arrive in Manchester with little pressure but plenty of motivation, knowing this represents a rare opportunity to reach the latter stages of a major domestic competition. Their Premier League form has been less convincing, with Sunday’s 1-1 draw against Leeds extending a three-match winless run, but cup football has offered a welcome distraction for the Bees this season.
Under Keith Andrews, Brentford have already eliminated fellow top-flight sides Aston Villa and Bournemouth before cruising past Grimsby with a 5-0 win in the previous round.
Their away form in the Carabao Cup has been particularly encouraging, with six wins from their last seven matches on the road in this competition. However, there are warning signs ahead of this trip, as Brentford have lost each of their last four competitive away games and failed to score in three of them. To spring a surprise at the Etihad, they will need to rediscover their cutting edge while remaining defensively disciplined against one of Europe’s most potent attacks.
Team News
Manchester City could once again be without Jérémy Doku, who missed the weekend win over Crystal Palace due to a leg injury and remains a doubt for this clash. Pep Guardiola may rotate his squad slightly, but key attacking figures are still expected to feature as City push for silverware on multiple fronts.
Brentford, meanwhile, will be hoping to have Reiss Nelson available after the winger missed their last two matches through injury. His return would provide a much-needed boost in attack, especially with the Bees likely to spend long spells without the ball against City’s possession-heavy approach.
Possible Lineups
Manchester City possible starting lineup:
Trafford; Lewis, Khusanov, Ake, O’Reilly; Reijnders, Silva; Bobb, Cherki, Savinho; Haaland
Brentford possible starting lineup:
Valdimarsson; Kayode, Collins, Van den Berg, Henry; Henderson, Yarmoliuk; Schade, Damsgaard, Lewis-Potter; Thiago
In preparation for the game, Brentford via its official X handle, shared an exclusive highlight of their round of 16 clash win against Grimbsy. They will be hoping continue this run against Cityzens. They posted:
SoftFootball Prediction
Manchester City’s form, squad depth and home dominance in the Carabao Cup make them clear favourites to progress. Brentford’s cup resilience suggests they could make things uncomfortable at times, but City’s attacking quality should ultimately prove decisive over 90 minutes.
Prediction: Manchester City 3-1 Brentford
