Predicted Starting Line-up: Manchester City vs Liverpool (FA Cup Quarter Final) | OneFootball

Off the back of a Carabao Cup final win and the last international break of the season, Manchester City set sights on one of their biggest rivals in FA Cup quarter final action as they take on Liverpool.

In their last outing, City secured their first piece of major silverware in the campaign with a relatively 0-2 win against Arsenal, providing a much-needed boost to a team faltering prior to the clash.

A second-half Nico O’Reilly brace killed off any hope of Mikel Arteta’s squad claiming the season’s first major trophy. While to many the Carabao Cup may not be deemed as a highly sought after trophy, for City it proves the team is very much still here to compete.

Up next, Liverpool – who have spent all season looking to find form and come into this one still lacking consistency with just two wins from their last five; a 4-1 win against Galatasaray and a 1-0 win against relegation threatened Nottingham Forest.

As has been the case for all of Manchester City’s matchups recently, with hopes of silverware hanging in the balance, and here is how we predict Pep Guardiola will line-up his side for the FA Cup quarter-final against Liverpool!

Starting XI

Hoping to build on his cup heroics, James Trafford is set to start in goal. His triple save in the opening exchanges of the Carabao Cup final provided yet another example of just what City’s summer signing is capable.

And in the hope of winning more cup game time and potentially a bigger role within Pep Guardiola’s plans next season, Trafford will be keen to build on his fine form against Liverpool this weekend.

Matheus Nunes has become one of the first names on the team sheet with an array of brilliant performances that have seen him become one of the world’s best full-backs.

Of course, being a cup game, there is every chance that Pep Guardiola could give minutes to Rico Lewis, who has been short of opportunities this season. But with the opposition as strong as they are, Nunes feels the safe bet.

Manchester City’s two-time Player of the Month this season, Abdukodir Khusanov has proved time and time again that he is more than a match for even the world’s greatest attacking threats, and this contest could give him the chance to prove it yet again.

While Liverpool have struggled this season, they still have more than enough attacking firepower to trouble any defence, and Abdukodir Khusanov’s pace and strength could serve as the perfect foil for that threat.

Partnering Khusanov, Nathan Ake rolled back the years in the Carabao Cup final and showed he still has what it takes on the biggest of occasions. With limited minutes, Ake’s involvement is far from a guarantee, but in what could turn out to be his final season at the club, another opportunity to push the team to Cup glory would be an opportunity he would relish.

Rayan Ait-Nouri found himself on the bench in the last match, but his form makes him a very hard man to ignore when picking a starting line-up. With the pace to halt Mo Salah and the attacking prowess to trouble Liverpool’s backline, Ait-Nouri will be in Guardiola’s thoughts.

Nico Gonzalez has struggled for game time in recent fixtures despite a blistering start to the season. The FA Cup gives the Spaniard the ideal chance to stake his claim as Manchester City’s go-to midfielder, should Rodri make the decision to depart in the summer.

Nico O’Reilly and Bernardo Silva have been crucial in so many big matches for the Blues this season.

Whilst the Cup could give Phil Foden and Tijjani Reijnders opportunity to make their mark, if you were to pick the midfield based on pure form you would have to say O’Reilly and Bernardo are the likely options. With their best shot at more silverware lying in the FA Cup, who better to run midfield than the Captain and the hero of the Carabao Cup?

Savinho has endured his fair share of criticism, but in recent games he has shown exactly why Pep Guardiola was so keen to keep him last summer. With a brilliant performance in the FA Cup fifth round against Newcastle, the Brazilian showed critics he is not just here to make up numbers, and the semi-final could provide the perfect platform to continue proving doubters wrong.

Omar Marmoush has had to settle for life as a back-up for the vast majority of the season, but in cup opportunities he has done everything he can to show why he should start this one.

With a brace against Newcastle, the Egyptian showed exactly what he is capable of when he gets the nod over Erling Haaland. Of course, the Norwegian is more often than not a guaranteed starter, but even he could do with a rest. Whoever Pep Guardiola picks will have a point to prove with goals often coming from other positions in recent fixtures.

Jeremy Doku’s incredible start to the season was disrupted by injury, but with his performance against Liverpool earlier in the season in mind, you would have to say he has more than earned his spot in the starting line-up.

Antoine Semenyo and Rayan Cherki have both hit the ground running in their time at Manchester City, but we all know Pep Guardiola loves nothing more than to keep us guessing, and with both starting against Arsenal, Doku feels like a safe bet.

Starting XI: Trafford; Nunes, Khusanov, Ake, Aït-Nouri; Nico, O’Reilly, Bernardo; Savinho, Marmoush, Doku.

Substitutes: Donnarumma, Dias, Guehi, Rodri, Reijnders, Foden, Semenyo, Cherki, Haaland.