Pep Guardiola double gamble gives Man City a boost despite impossible task

Matheus Nunes of Manchester City celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the Carabao Cup Third Round match between City and Watford
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


Elton John may be a big fan but Watford will be glad to see the back of Manchester City.

On Saturday they could only watch as young defender Callum Doyle smashed in the opening goal for his loan club Norwich to condemn them to their second defeat in the Championship. That was a taster for a Carabao Cup exit as City booked their place in the fourth round despite making nine changes from the Arsenal draw that included five local talents and a debut for 16-year-old Kaden Braithwaite after just one first team training session.

James McAtee, another of the quintet, nearly put City ahead sooner than Doyle had scored for Norwich but couldn't get his feet in place quickly enough from a Jack Grealish cross. Pep Guardiola only needed to wait until the fifth minute though before Jeremy Doku neatly finished a Grealish pass after McAtee had nipped in to nick the ball off the goalkeeper's toes.

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A simple game without incident was everything City needed after the draining drama of the Arsenal match, and the crowd certainly enjoyed the shift in stakes as they taunted the opposition fans about the 2019 FA Cup final before turning their attention to the state of Old Trafford. As the crowd cruised, City were given a sharp jolt when Kwadwo Baah shoved Atherton teenager Braithwaite to the floor and slotted past Stefan Ortega; to the relief of the Etihad, referee David Webb deemed it a foul.

Rico Lewis was playing right-back, false nine and everywhere in between, so it was no surprise that he was heavily involved in City's second goal towards the end of the first half. After exchanging passes with Phil Foden, he found Matheus Nunes and the midfielder arrowed in an effort with his left foot that crept inside the goalkeeper's near post.

That was the game won inside 45 minutes, and all Guardiola really needed to see to know that his gamble had paid off. City could have played this match at Watford on Wednesday night and had an extra day's rest, but the manager preferred to prioritise Newcastle and can now wake up in his city-centre apartment after a 2-1 win knowing that he and the squad have three days before they play at St James' Park.

For all the opportunities there were to impress on the night, it was an impossible task for anyone to fill the key absences. Foden grew sharper as the game went on in his first start since the European Championship final while the wingers all did well, but City were never going to find anyone on the pitch who can do for them what the absent Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne, or Rodri can.

Haaland is expected to return for Newcastle after missing this game for a funeral, while De Bruyne won't be far behind if he isn't quite ready for the north-east trip. The big loss though is Rodri, who City are resigned to being without for a considerable time.

There has been no official word from the club on the extent of the Spaniard's injury as he underwent further specialist tests in Barcelona on Tuesday, but it is a serious injury that is set to keep him out for a lengthy period. City struggled to cope without him last season when he was briefly injured or suspended, and while they did well at the beginning of this term, Rodri's absence will harm their chances of winning the biggest trophies this year.

They will remain in with a chance of winning everything on offer precisely because they continue to put all they have into each competition. It may have been a much-changed team from Sunday - Kyle Walker and Doku, who went off at half-time, were the only survivors in the starting XI - yet there was more than enough quality in the team to respect their Championship opposition and progress in the Carabao Cup.

The effort was there as well, Grealish clearing a late free-kick he had given away to preserve the win after Tom Ince had pulled a goal back for Watford. It was closer than it should have been, but City still got the job done.

Guardiola said in his programme notes that the club love this competition and he enjoys it too, making it his first trophy in English football and then winning four in a row. The next round, the last-16, takes place between Premier League games with Southampton and Bournemouth and nobody will want to draw the Blues.

Bigger tests await with bigger problems yet to be solved, but Tuesday night gave Guardiola everything he could have wanted and young Kaden Braithwaite even more.