Man City vs Brentford preview, prediction, team news, and head-to-head

Man City will be eager to book a spot in the last four of the competition for the first time since 2021 and avoid another early exit. Standing in their way is a determined Brentford, who are capable of upsetting their host. 

Manchester City come into this fixture in top form, winning all of their last five matches across all competitions comfortably. Their most recent outing saw them score 3 goals past Crystal Palace without a reply in the EPL over the weekend. 

In the tournament, City have made light work of their journey so far, comfortably seeing off Huddersfield Town and Swansea City to book their spot in the last eight. 

Brentford, on the other hand, have been struggling for consistency in the league. They head into this clash without a win in their last three matches (D1, L2). Their most recent result was a 1-1 draw against Leeds at the weekend. 

To get to this stage of the competition, the Bees hammered Grimsby Town 5-0, as the latter were unable to replicate the miracle they had against Manchester United. A win in this game will put Brentford a step closer to winning their first major trophy since coming to the EPL. 

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In the last 15 meetings between these clubs, Man City have been victorious on 9 occasions (D2,L4). In fact, each of City’s last three victories over Brentford has been by just a single goal, showing how closely contested these games tend to be.  

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is expected to rotate heavily for this cup clash, with a few injury concerns shaping his selection. Midfield anchors Rodri (hamstring) and Mateo Kovacic (ankle) are still out, while winger Jeremy Doku (leg) and defender John Stones (thigh) remain doubtful. 

In games like this, the City boss would have rested Erling Haaland to keep him fresh for the Premier League match as the team is closely on the heels of table leaders, Arsenal. However, Omar Marmoush's going for the Afcon may give room for Pep to rely once more on his star striker. 

For Brentford, Keith Andrews will be missing midfield duo Dango Ouattara and Frank Onyeka, who are away on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations. They will also be without long-term absentees Fabio Carvalho, Antoni Milambo, and Josh Dasilva. 

On a positive note, forward Kevin Schade is fit again and could feature. The manager is also expected to name a strong starting XI, with Hakon Valdimarsson set to continue in goal for their cup run.

Man City (4-5-1): Trafford; Lewis, Khusanov, Ake, O'Reilly; Reijnders, Silva; Bobb, Cherki, Savinho; Haaland

Brentford (4-2-3-1): Valdimarsson; Kayode, Collins, Van den Berg, Henry; Henderson, Yarmoliuk; Schade, Damsgaard, Lewis-Potter; Thiago

Even with Pep Guardiola shaking up the squad, Manchester City’s bench strength is no joke, especially with their sizzling five-game winning streak lighting the way. The odds on Livescorebet also point towards Man City’s victory. 

Prediction: Man City 2-1 Brentford 

• Bet on Man City to win

• Over 2.5 goals

• Erling Haaland to score - Yes