How Man City could line up in EFL Cup clash vs Brentford (4-1-4-1) | OneFootball

Manchester City welcome Brentford to the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night in an all-Premier League EFL Cup quarter-final showdown.

Man City booked their place in the last eight with a comfortable 3-1 win over Swansea City.

While Premier League and Champions League success usually take centre stage at the Etihad, the EFL Cup still carries significance for Pep Guardiola’s side, given their rich history in the tournament.

Man City have dominated the competition, lifting the trophy six times in eight seasons between 2014 and 2021.

However, they have not won it since edging Tottenham Hotspur in the 2021 final and have failed to reach the quarter-finals in recent years.

That makes tonight’s contest an important marker, especially as Man City have gone on to win the trophy after each of their last six quarter-final victories.

Guardiola has rotated his squad well so far, guiding Man City past Huddersfield Town and Swansea with little fuss. The hosts also head into the game on the back of five wins in a row across all competitions.

Man City clinically dispatched a profligate Crystal Palace side 3-0 in the Premier League and will be confident of extending their winning streak at the expense of another London club.

How Man City could line up

Guardiola is expected to name a heavily rotated side for tonight’s EFL Cup showdown, with next weekend’s home game against West Ham United in mind.

James Trafford will likely return to the XI for the first time since the 2-0 defeat against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League.

There should be changes to the backline, although Nico O’Reilly will likely reprise his role.

With John Stones struggling with injury, Nathan Ake returns to the XI for the first time in over a month.

Abdulkodir Khusanov should join the out-of-favour centre-back at the heart of defence, while Rico Lewis lines up at right back.

Tijjani Reijnders should start at the base of midfield with Savinho, Rayan Cherki, Oscar Bobb, and Bernardo Silva ahead of him.

With Omar Marmoush jetting off to the Africa Cup of Nations, Erling Braut Haaland should lead the line.