Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has announced that his side will not prioritize the Carabao Cup this season, despite their history of success in the competition.
Guardiola stressed that City’s busy schedule had forced him to focus on bigger prizes, such as the Premier League and Champions League.
Youth takes center stage for Man City in Carabao Cup
Guardiola made nine changes to the team that faced Arsenal in the Premier League, fielding a mix of young talent and key players in their narrow 2-1 win over Watford in the Carabao Cup.
While regular starters like Phil Foden, Jack Grealish and Kyle Walker were involved, star names like Erling Haaland were rested. This allowed emerging talents like 16-year-old Kaden Braithwaite and 19-year-old Nico O’Reilly to make their debut.
?✨ Manchester City confirm Kaden Braithwaite in the starting XI against Watford.
At 16 years and 183 days old, he is the third youngest defender in Man City’s history.
He is one of the Academy’s many talents, with Pep Guardiola very happy with his development. pic.twitter.com/Y94mC0UDt5
-Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 24, 2024
Guardiola has confirmed his intention to continue using fringe players in the next round. “In the next round, I tell you, I will play the second team. We are not going to waste energy,” declared the city boss. “The schedule is the schedule, we can’t manage it anyway.”
City won the Carabao Cup four times in a row from 2018 to 2021, but Guardiola has made it clear that this season the competition is lower on his list of priorities. “We are playing to qualify,” he explained. “But I’m not going to take any risks with the Premier League and the Champions League.”
With little time to rest, City face Newcastle United on Saturday in a crucial Premier League match.