Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is not taking Carabao Cup progress for granted as the perennial champions prepare to travel to West Ham.
The Etihad Stadium side have won the competition in six of the past eight seasons, including the last four editions in succession.
Tuesday marked five years to the day since they were last eliminated from the competition, but Guardiola is expecting that remarkable record to be put to the test by David Moyes’ Hammers on Wednesday night.
Five-in-a-row incoming? #EFL | @ManCity pic.twitter.com/ykkAwXytzY
— Carabao Cup (@Carabao_Cup) October 25, 2021
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“It’s good,” the City boss said. “The League Cup is a tournament in this country and we have done quite well.
“We won it for the fourth time in a row and still we are there.
“We know which team we are going to face – West Ham away – so it is not an easy one.
“At the same time, we are going to prepare to try to win the game like we do any game in any competition.”
West Ham won 1-0 at Manchester United to set up this fourth-round tie against a City side that swatted aside League One outfit Wycombe 6-1 in September.
Guardiola heavily leant on youth in that fixture with the squad stretched but more senior options are available for the trip to the capital.
John Stones, Nathan Ake, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Riyad Mahrez are among those pushing to start on Wednesday, plus there is the complication of City’s Under-21s taking on Rotherham in the Papa John’s Trophy on Tuesday.
“Some of (the youngsters will be involved) but less than against Wycombe because in that moment we had injured players,” Guardiola said after Saturday’s 4-1 league win at Brighton.
“We had different circumstances but yes, we will take a look in the next days.
Keep going 🏆⚽️ pic.twitter.com/jkoZZliWKq
— Ferran Torres (@FerranTorres20) October 11, 2021
“We play on Wednesday so we will see in training tomorrow and Tuesday and after we will see what is the best decision.
“Some of them are going to play, yes.”
Raheem Sterling missed the trip to Brighton with a back issue and there has yet to be an update on his condition.
Ferran Torres remains out with the foot injury he sustained on international duty with Spain earlier this month.
