Pep Guardiola wasn’t in the mood for tactical discussion after Sunday‘s 1–1 draw at Arsenal, during which Manchester City deployed a defensive line typically associated with the Spaniard’s ideological opposite.
A wry smile must’ve manifested on José Mourinho’s face when he learned of Guardiola’s ’anti-football’ approach to seeing out a potential victory at the Emirates. Keen to save face, the City boss insisted that such caution was necessary as a result of City’s cruel schedule.
Just three days before, they‘d played out a 2–0 victory over Napoli in the Champions League, while Arsenal had more than 48 extra hours to recover from their midweek travails.
Thus, heavy rotation is expected from Guardiola for Wednesday night’s Carabao Cup tie at Huddersfield Town. City haven’t won this competition since 2021, having triumphed four times between 2018 and 2021, but it may represent their best chance of silverware this term.
Here’s how the Cityzens could line up at the Accu Stadium against League One opposition.
