Fresh off the back of a 6-3 victory over Arsenal in Saturday’s lunchtime game, Manchester City take a trip to Leicester City on Tuesday night in the Capital One Cup. The Blues remain one of four big sides still in the competition, and are facing the only non-Premier League side still in this season’s tournament. Recently, the Blues have been in a rich vein of scoring form, evidenced in putting six past their opponents at the weekend.
The Capital One Cup is one of the four competitions City are still in, and they will be keen to progress to the semi-finals, which commence next month. The Manchester side will feel they have been gifted the easiest draw of the four big sides, although the Foxes could cause their opponents some trouble for the Premier League team, with them recently being head of the Championship, however they have slipped to 3rd since.
It is nearly three years since these two sides met competitively, which was in the FA Cup in the 2010-11 season. Leicester were drawn at home to Tuesday’s opponents, and held the Citizens to a 2-2 draw in front of their own fans. This was a shock result at the time, but in the replay at the Etihad, a side captained by then star Carlos Tévez City overcame the challengers to win 4-2 and progress past their Championship opponents. As we know, the Blues then went on to win the cup at Wembley a few months later, with Yaya Touré smashing home the goal that ended 35 years without a trophy for the City fans.
One player certain to miss the match on Tuesday evening is Argentina star Sergio Agüero, who picked up a calf injury in strange circumstances in the weekend’s match at home to Arsenal. Summer signing Stevan Jovetić is also ruled out, as are defenders Micah Richards (who was injured at the Allianz Arena in City’s famous win last week) and Matija Nastasić. However, City do have more than enough quality in these areas even with the injuries to see off most domestic challengers.
However, the home team are not without their fair share of injuries. Ireland international Sean St Ledger misses out thanks to a groin injury, and whilst he has been a bit-part player for the Foxes in recent months, he is still good enough to cause teams a problem, especially at home. Chris Wood will also not play, by virtue of a hamstring injury. The New Zealand international has scored once in nine league games this season, but again could have been a player to worry Manuel Pellegrini in Tuesday’s game.
With an important fixture away at Fulham’s Craven Cottage next weekend, we could easily see City field a weakened side in a bid to maintain fitness and ensure injuries are limited at most. Players like Yaya Touré could be left on the bench, and it is a chance for people like Javi Garcia to get a starting berth. We could also see young talents like Marcos Lopes or John Guidetti be given a chance from the off, and allowed to show their talents in the first-team, a chance which does not come around often, and could well benefit them hugely.
Leicester City also have a huge game next weekend too in promotion rivals Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road, so Nigel Pearson will be tempted to rest his first-team stars ahead of that massive game. Equally though, he could feel that four days is enough rest for his players, and go all-out to try and secure the win against the visiting Premier League giants, in what would be a monumental and morale-boosting victory. Many will feel that even Leicester’s strongest team should not be too much trouble for even a second-string City side – especially one that won at arguably the best team in the world last week.
City fans will surely be expecting a victory no matter what team Pellegrini fields on Tuesday night. The players that the Blues possess are more than good enough to make almost any team succumb, and Leicester should be no different; however, there is always the chance of a shock result lingering in the air. Were the Citizens to progress, they’re liked to face one of Manchester United, Chelsea or Tottenham in the semi-final, as they all have separate ties to try and deal with in the coming week, and they all seem winnable for the respective teams. It is important for Manchester City to try and win by a few clear goals on Tuesday night, to send out a message to the other involved teams that the Blues are very much in the running for the trophy that will be won in early March next year.
