The City boss made nine changes for the third-round win over Watford, with the goals coming from Jeremy Doku and Matheus Nunes.
Pep Guardiola explicitly mentioned that Manchester City this season does not concentrate on the Carabao Cup. Winning 2-1 against Watford at the Etihad Stadium and heading into the fourth round, Guardiola agreed that the competition was not even given a priority. Speaking candidly after the match, the City boss stressed the need to conserve energy for bigger challenges ahead, offering a glimpse into his team's mindset as they juggle domestic and international ambitions. Manchester City continued their Carabao Cup campaign with a comfortable 2-1 win over Championship side Watford at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday night. But while the scoreline may suggest business as usual for the Premier League champions, City manager Pep Guardiola made it abundantly clear that the competition is not high on his agenda this season.
With nine changes from the team that was held to a draw by Arsenal just two days earlier, Guardiola's post-match comments were certainly pragmatic. "I would say the next round, we are going to play the players at the last minute or play the second team," he said. "We're not going to waste energy for this competition, for sure." For City, this schedule, especially with the demands of European football looming large, means Guardiola has had to try and readjust, though historically, the quadruple winners of recent years were always going to have their priority established on the Premier League and Champions League. "If I have a lot of injuries, I'm going to play the second team," he added, hinting that the Carabao Cup could be more of a proving ground for fringe players rather than a competition to aim for the silverware.
City dominated the match and went 1-0 up through a summer signing of Jeremy Doku within five minutes from the kick-off. A sumptuous defense error on the part of Watford saw the Belgian winger find himself in the net, sending the fans as well as the Hornets' boss Tom Cleverley into knots before halftime. Matheus Nunes further doubled it with a beautiful goal in the time going into halftime to ascertain that at this point, the city victory was sustainable.
Despite a last-gasp rally from Watford, with Tom Ince pulling one back with a great strike in the 86th minute, City easily saw the game out. For Watford, the loss was no shame. Cleverley, who, like Pep, made nine changes to his starting XI, took positives from his team's performance—especially in their defensive resilience against a side regarded as one of the best in the world.
"As a coach, there is little you can do about gifting away the ball in such an easy situation," Cleverley lamented, referring to the early mistake that led to Doku's opener. "But I thought we showed backbone and real resilience after that, to value the art of defending." The Hornets, currently navigating the Championship, can take pride in the fact they made City work for the result, with Cleverley hailing the match as a strong display of their potential.
From City's perspective, the win spoke to the quality within Guardiola's team. Even with his second XI, City dominated possession, created chances, and dictated the tempo of the game. Returning Aymeric Laporte and more playtime from newcomers such as Nunes provide flexibility for Guardiola to navigate through fitness issues in the coming months.
Ultimately, City emerged successful against Watford to ensure a place in the Carabao Cup fourth round, but the words from the dugout after the game told a different story about the importance of winning the competition. "It's a good competition for some players to take the rhythm, that's for sure," Guardiola said, admitting the quality of keeping the team match-fit without making it a goal.
As Manchester City rolls on in the various competitions, sure the lesson cannot have been lost on fans that Guardiola is not afraid to rotate his squad when things call for it. And for Watford, there is no shame in falling short of the champions, though what was learned at Etihad will do as some good lessons while looking ahead to returning to the Premier League. For City, there's no pressure to take the Carabao Cup seriously but they can easily see this match out without giving their everything.
