Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the EFL Cup match.
Manchester City, who narrowly avoided defeat against Arsenal, will face another home game just a day later, this time against a considerably weaker opponent, whom they should comfortably defeat even with a second lineup.
Manchester City
The match against Arsenal was extremely taxing for Manchester City, despite having a numerical advantage for the entire second half. Pep Guardiola will likely rest most of the players who featured, given that they have another match in the League Cup just a day later. Rodri Hernández was lost to a knee injury, but the duration of his absence is still unknown. In the dying moments against Arsenal, Manchester City equalised surprisingly late in the 98th minute. The home side's dominance after the break was staggering: 88% possession, 28 shots, 9 on target, while the opponent managed just 1 shot (1 on target), and an xG of 1.40 compared to Arsenal's 0.07. Similar numbers can be expected against Watford, although their defence isn't as robust.
Watford
Watford fell apart against a far less illustrious side, Norwich City, losing 1:4, despite Norwich not being known for high-scoring games — their maximum was two goals against Blackburn Rovers. The team had a clear advantage, but nothing like Manchester City's: 19 (8) shots vs 11 (3) shots , 55% vs 45% possession, and 2,72 vs 1.67 xG. Watford have only managed to pick up points away from home against Millwall (3:2), whose defence is often porous. Manchester City offer an incomparable defensive order.
Manchester City vs Watford Prediction
The last five matches between the clubs have seen a flood of goals against Watford: 6:0, 8:0, 4:0, 3:1, 5:1. It appears that the upcoming game will follow in the same vein. The home side will field their second team, but the reserves have something to prove, so they are likely to score heavily.
