Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City are all set to take on Brentford in a highly anticipated league cup quarterfinal on Wednesday evening.
This is City’s first quarterfinal appearance since 2022/23 and they come into the game filled with confidence after a recent run of positive results.
They face a Brentford side who have won six of their last seven away matches in the competition, as they seek to turn away from their inconsistent league form.
City on the other hand have also won their last five games in this competition, setting this up to be a breathtaking game of football.
With a place in the semis at stake, we have a look at all key details ahead of the match.
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Team news
Jeremy Doku is likely to remain absent after missing out the weekends action due to a leg injury. Guardiola is also expected to rest in form Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki. The likes of Savinho and Rico Lewis are expected to get the nod. Top scorer Erling Haaland is also expected to get a rest, with Omar Marmoush starting up front.
As for the visitors; their approach could be different as they are expected to field their strongest XI. Igor Thiago failed to score over the weekend and will get a chance to redeem himself here. Mikel Damsgaard is also set to start after coming off the bench in the 1-1 draw against Leeds United.
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Head-to-head and current form
Guardiola’s charges have been dominant over the bees in recent years, winning four of the last five matches against them. Only one has resulted in a draw, a thrilling 2-2 stalemate last season. Brentford will be desperate to get a result here that could keep their qualification hopes alive.
Current form:
Man City – WWWWW
Brentford – DLLWL
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Previous games:
Brentford 0-1 Man City (October 5, 2025)
Brentford 2-2 Man City (Jan 14, 2025)
Man City 2-1 Brentford (2024)
Man City 1-0 Brentford (2024)
Brentford 1-3 Man City (2024)
Prediction
With the kind of form City are on, it’s difficult to see a way they could lose this game at first glance. However, the league cup is custom to major upsets over the years and anything could happen. City are favorites to avoid defeat and we can expect goals in the game.
Man City to win and/or over 2.5 goals provide the best options ahead of the clash.
Photo: Alex Pantling/Getty Images
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