Enzo Maresca is expected to ring the changes for Wednesday night’s EFL Cup fourth-round tie, and our Man City predicted lineup vs Brighton has a new goalkeeper, a rested striker and a recall for two academy graduates.
City host Brighton at the Etihad Stadium as holders, nine-time winners and chasing Liverpool’s all-time record of 10 triumphs. The Premier League is still the priority, though, and Maresca has said he will need to rest some of his senior stars amid a busy fixture schedule.
This is the first half of a quickfire double-header, because the two clubs meet again in the Premier League just three days later. Here is how City could line up.
Why Maresca will rotate against Brighton
City start the night after a 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa, their fourth in a row at Villa Park. It ended a run of seven straight Premier League wins under Maresca and let champions Arsenal draw level at the top of the table.
Defensive concerns have grown, too. City have conceded nine times across their last four matches in all competitions without a clean sheet, and they are looking to avoid a third defeat in five. Brighton arrive as the third-highest scorers in Europe (34), so a freshened-up back line will be tested.
City have also gone out of the EFL Cup before round five in three of the last five seasons, and they are without a win in four meetings with Brighton (two draws, two defeats). Our full Man City predicted lineup vs Brighton follows, position by position.
Man City predicted lineup vs Brighton (4-2-3-1)
Man City predicted lineup vs Brighton (4-2-3-1): Rulli, Lewis, Khusanov, Dias, O’Reilly, Bouaddi, Kovacic, McAidoo, Foden, Doku, Haaland
Geronimo Rulli: replacing Donnarumma in the Man City predicted lineup vs Brighton?
Gianluigi Donnarumma was at fault for the second goal in the Villa defeat, and Maresca could swap him for Geronimo Rulli between the sticks. Rulli made his City debut in the third-round victory over Norwich last month, so he is the new cup goalkeeper. With defensive worries growing, it is a natural moment to make the change.
Rico Lewis: right-back option
Matheus Nunes missed the Villa game with a minor muscle issue and could be ready to start. Maresca may prefer Rico Lewis or Abdukodir Khusanov on the right, and we have Lewis in our XI. Nunes remains an alternative if Maresca wants more experience there.
Abdukodir Khusanov and Ruben Dias: the Man City predicted lineup vs Brighton centre-back pair
Khusanov is a contender to start at centre-back alongside either Marc Guehi, Ruben Dias or Vitor Reis. We have him partnering captain Dias, who promised a reaction after Villa in our report on the defeat. Guehi and Reis are the alternatives.
Nico O’Reilly: left-back battle with Gvardiol
Nico O’Reilly and Josko Gvardiol are set to battle for the left-back berth. O’Reilly was an unused substitute against Villa after recovering from a minor issue, which makes him fresh and available. We give him the nod.
Ayyoub Bouaddi: Man City predicted lineup vs Brighton midfield recall
Bouaddi was an unused substitute at Villa Park and looks set for a recall in centre-midfield. That could mean either or both of Elliot Anderson and Enzo Fernandez make way. It is one of the clearest signs that this will be a rotated side.
Mateo Kovacic: the other holding spot
Kovacic is a strong contender to start next to Bouaddi, and we think Maresca goes with him. That pairing would leave Anderson and Fernandez waiting for the Premier League meeting with Brighton three days later.
Ryan McAidoo: another academy graduate on the right?
Ryan McAidoo or Allan could take the place of either Iliman Ndiaye or Jeremy Doku out wide. We have McAidoo on the right in our Man City predicted lineup vs Brighton, which would hand another academy graduate a start on a big Etihad night.
Phil Foden: Man City predicted lineup vs Brighton number 10
Foden has scored four goals in his last two home starts for City and will hope to displace Rayan Cherki in the number 10 position. That form makes him an easy pick. He is the creative link between the midfield pair and the front line, and his recent form is hard to ignore.
Jeremy Doku: staying on the left
Doku could keep his place on the left, with Ndiaye the one most likely to make way. Allan is the other name in the mix out wide. If Doku does start, he gives City the width to stretch a Brighton side that will have its own changes to make.
Erling Haaland: starter or substitute?
Maresca will be tempted to bench Erling Haaland, who played the full 90 minutes at Villa Park after recovering from a knock to his foot. He has 13 goals in 11 appearances this term, and we still have him leading the line. The idea would be to take him off in the second half once City have a commanding lead.
That echoes the story of his frustration with the goalkeeper at Villa, which we covered in our Haaland and Donnarumma piece.
Floyd Samba: the 17-year-old alternative
The alternative is that Haaland begins on the bench and Maresca puts his faith in 17-year-old Floyd Samba. He scored a brace on his first senior start in the 5-0 thumping of Norwich in round three. It would be a bold call against a side as dangerous as Brighton.
Brighton team news and the injury picture
The visitors are sweating over Ferdi Kadioglu (hip) and Chema Andres (muscle), who were both forced off in the 2-0 Premier League defeat to Liverpool. Mats Wieffer (knee) and Yankuba Minteh (ankle) may return, while Kaoru Mitoma, Femi Azeez, Pascal Struijk (all thigh), Evan Ferguson (ankle) and Stefanos Tzimas (knee) are sidelined.
Fabian Hurzeler is likely to make changes, with Costinha and Jaouen Hadjam strong contenders at full-back. Georginio Rutter could replace 19-year-old Charalampos Kostoulas up front, even though Kostoulas has a team-high five goals this season. Brighton have also pulled off a 3-2 comeback at Old Trafford in round three, so City cannot take them lightly.
On City’s side, Antoine Semenyo (knee) is the only injured player. For the wider picture, see our Man City injury list.
Man City vs Brighton prediction
Sports Mole expect a compelling, end-to-end cup tie between the only two Premier League sides to have breached the 20-goal milestone already this season. They back City to outgun Brighton 3-2 and reach round five. Our prediction is the same, 3-2 to the holders in a high-scoring game.
Man City predicted lineup vs Brighton (4-2-3-1): Rulli, Lewis, Khusanov, Dias, O’Reilly, Bouaddi, Kovacic, McAidoo, Foden, Doku, Haaland
