Pep Guardiola decision justified after ignoring request following Arsenal clash

MANCHESTER CITY 2-1 WATFORD: Pep Guardiola's side eased to a comfortable Carabao Cup victory over Championship Watford despite Tom Ince's 86th-minute goal making for a close finish

After the drama of Sunday, which was like Bridgerton and Sherwood rolled into one, this was the routine win Manchester City wanted.

City are still counting the cost of Sunday’s fireworks with Arsenal and Pep Guardiola confirmed before kick-off last night that key midfielder Rodri will be out for a lengthy period with his knee injury. City needed a straightforward match, especially with this tie starting just 49 hours after John Stones ’ 98th-minute equaliser, and they got it.

They rejected the offer to play at Vicarage Road and their gamble paid off as Guardiola’s much-changed side were too strong for Watford. Watford did pull a goal back four minutes from time through Tom Ince to make the tie briefly competitive, but it was not enough to alter the outcome.

Watford boss Tom Cleverley prioritised Saturday’s Championship showdown with Sunderland as he made nine changes to take the sting out of any challenge the Hornets might have posed. Jeremy Doku, one of only two survivors from the Arsenal game with Kyle Walker, fired City in front inside five minutes.

Doku showed no ill effects from Sunday’s exertions, although Guardiola did replace him with Savinho at half-time with the job done. By then, City led 2-0 after forgotten man Matheus Nunes weighed in with his first Blues goal on his 34th appearance for the club.

Cleverley was praised by Guardiola in his programme notes and his weakened team selection wasn’t the best way to tackle the club’s 15-game losing streak in this fixture before last night. Suicidal defending doesn’t help either and Watford passed the ball in their own box, inviting City to nick it and score the first goal.

James McAtee nipped in and pulled the ball back for Jack Grealish, who squared it for Doku to fire home right-footed. Guardiola handed Kaden Braithwaite his debut at left-back and the teenage defender became the club’s third youngest player at 16 years and 229 days.

Braithwaite was solid and he was given an unceremonious introduction to senior football when Kwadwo Baah shoved him off the ball before scoring, only for the strike to be rightly disallowed for a foul. Normal service was resumed and City scored their second on 38 minutes through some slick passing.

Rico Lewis was the instigator and he fed Nunes on the edge of the box, who shot home left-footed. Watford showed little, but they should have scored in first-half stoppage time when Vakoun Bayo headed wide from Yasser Larouci’s left-wing cross from just six yards out.

With the tie won, it should have been just a question of how many City would score to underline their superiority. They went close to a third when Nunes saw a shot saved by Jonathan Bond and Savinho’s shot was headed off the line by Tom Ince.

Savinho must have felt cursed and he hit the far post following a lightning break down the right. Bond denied Grealish before Watford scored on 86 minutes when Ince curled a beautiful left-foot shot into the far corner from the edge of the area to give the scoreline a flattering look.

Join our new WhatsApp communityand receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.