Softfootball previews Wednesday night’s high-stakes EFL Cup clash between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City, covering predictions, team updates, and probable lineups.
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With Tottenham hoping to end a 16-year trophy drought and City rotating heavily to manage a packed fixture list, both sides are primed for an intense contest.
Tottenham, who fell to Crystal Palace on Sunday, aim to rebound at home, while Manchester City looks to sustain their momentum following a narrow win over Southampton.
Match Preview
Returning from the international break, Tottenham notched wins over West Ham United and AZ Alkmaar in North London but stumbled in their latest match at Crystal Palace, conceding a lone goal to Jean-Philippe Mateta after a sluggish build-up.
Now in eighth place in the Premier League standings, Spurs are striving for consistency under Ange Postecoglou, who seeks Champions League qualification in his first season while also aiming for a deep EFL Cup run.
Despite the challenge of facing Manchester City, the EFL Cup may offer Tottenham their best chance at ending their silverware drought since their 2008 triumph over Chelsea, secured by goals from Dimitar Berbatov and Jonathan Woodgate.
In the third round, Postecoglou’s side narrowly avoided an upset at Coventry, pulling off a last-minute comeback with goals from Djed Spence and Brennan Johnson.
Meanwhile, Manchester City enters the match on a five-game winning streak across Premier League and Champions League play, including a hard-fought victory over Southampton on Saturday, courtesy of Erling Haaland’s early goal.
City’s packed schedule ahead of November’s international break includes four consecutive away games, making this an ideal opportunity for Pep Guardiola to rotate his squad with a blend of first-team and academy players.
In recent years, City’s stranglehold on the EFL Cup has loosened, exiting at the quarter-final stage or earlier in two of the past three seasons. Nonetheless, they progressed past Watford in the last round with goals from Jeremy Doku and Matheus Nunes, and will look to add to their dominance despite significant squad changes.
Team News
Tottenham are likely to be without Son Heung-min, who missed their last two matches due to a thigh injury. Rising talent Mikey Moore, who debuted in the Premier League at just 17 years old against Crystal Palace, may be called upon again to feature on Wednesday. Injuries also impact the Spurs defense, with Spence, a scorer in their last EFL Cup round, sidelined until late November due to a groin injury.
Manchester City has several injuries in key positions, including long-term absences for Kevin De Bruyne, Kyle Walker, and Oscar Bobb. Rodri is also out for the season with a cruciate ligament injury.
As Guardiola prioritizes upcoming Premier League and Champions League fixtures, academy players like Kaden Braithwaite and Nico O’Reilly may be included in Wednesday’s lineup alongside select first-team regulars.
Predicted Lineups
Tottenham Hotspur:
Forster; Gray, Dragusin, Davies, Udogie; Sarr, Bentancur, Maddison; Werner, Johnson, Richarlison
Manchester City:
Ortega; Lewis, Stones, Braithwaite, Ake; O’Reilly; Savio, McAtee, Gundogan, Nunes; Foden
Match Prediction
With Manchester City expected to field several academy players, Tottenham may sense a golden opportunity to reach the quarter-finals.
However, a Guardiola-managed side, even with a mixed lineup, has the quality to challenge Spurs, who will need a peak performance to progress. We anticipate a close encounter with Manchester City narrowly edging out Tottenham to advance.
For deeper insights, likely scorelines, and data analysis for this match, click here to access Softfootball’s full predictions.
