Pep Guardiola says his Manchester City players are taking nothing for granted when as they continue their quest for a fifth straight Carabao Cup against West Ham United on Wednesday.
City have had a stranglehold on the English cup competition for most of the past decade, winning six of the past eight editions, including the last four in succession.
Tuesday marked five years to the day since they were last eliminated from the competition, but Guardiola is expecting that remarkable record to be put to the test by David Moyes’ Hammers.
“It’s good,” the City boss said. “The League Cup is a tournament in this country and we have done quite well.
“We won it for the fourth time in a row and still we are there.
“We know which team we are going to face – West Ham away – so it is not an easy one.
“At the same time, we are going to prepare to try to win the game like we do any game in any competition.”
Brighton v Man City ratings
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Manchester City's Phil Foden celebrates scoring their second goal against Brighton with Ilkay Gundogan. City won the match 4-1 at Amex Stadium on October 23, 2021. Reuters -
Riyad Mahrez celebrates with teammates Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden, Ruben Dias, Rodrigo, Kevin De Bruyne and Fernandinho of Manchester City after scoring their team's fourth goal. Getty -
Phil Foden of Manchester City battles for possession with Joel Veltman and Tariq Lamptey of Brighton & Hove Albion. Getty Images -
Phil Foden of Manchester City runs with the ball. Getty Images -
Phil Foden of Manchester City battles for possession with Jakub Moder of Brighton & Hove Albion. Getty Images -
Phil Foden celebrates with Jack Grealish of Manchester City after scoring their team's second goal. Getty Images -
Phil Foden of Manchester City reacts after scoring their team's second goal. Getty Images -
Phil Foden of Manchester City has his shot blocked by Robert Sanchez of Brighton. Getty Images -
Brighton & Hove Albion's Lewis Dunk and Robert Sanchez look dejected after Manchester City's Phil Foden scored their third goal. Reuters -
Manchester City's Ilkay Gundogan scores their first goal. Reuters -
Manchester City's Ilkay Gundogan. Reuters -
Brighton goalkeeper Robert Sanchez protests following Manchester City's opening goal. AFP -
Brighton goalkeeper Robert Sanchez protests following Manchester City's opening goal. AFP -
Manchester City's Ilkay Gundogan celebrates scoring their first goal with teammates. Reuters -
Manchester City's Riyad Mahrez celebrates scoring their fourth goal with Ruben Dias. Reuters
West Ham won 1-0 at Manchester United to set up this fourth-round tie against a City side that swatted aside League One outfit Wycombe 6-1 in September.
Guardiola heavily leant on youth in that fixture with the squad stretched but more senior options are available for the trip to the capital.
John Stones, Nathan Ake, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Riyad Mahrez are among those pushing to start on Wednesday, plus there is the complication of City’s Under 21s taking on Rotherham in the Papa John’s Trophy on Tuesday.
Raheem Sterling missed Saturday's 4-1 Premier League win at Brighton & Hove Albion with a back issue and there has yet to be an update on his condition.
Ferran Torres remains out with the foot injury he sustained on international duty with Spain earlier this month.
West Ham v Tottenham ratings
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WEST HAM PLAYER RATINGS: Lukasz Fabianski – 7. Had a bit to do in the first half and produced some good saves but was largely a spectator after the break. AFP -
Ben Johnson – 7. A strong performance from the right-back who stuck to his defensive duties well and ventured forward with intent. Reuters -
Kurt Zouma – 8. Dominated at the heart of the Hammers defence. The Frenchman didn’t give Spurs a sniff, winning almost everything in the air. PA -
Angelo Ogbonna – 7. Building a really strong partnership with Zouma and helped keep the likes of Kane, Son, and Moura quiet. Getty Images -
Aaron Cresswell – 8. Got his name in the assist column with the corner for Antonio’s goal as part of a fine display from the left-back. Reuters -
Tomas Soucek – 7. Caused Spurs problems with his runs into the box during the first half and looked hungry for a goal. His threat faded in the second half though. AP -
Declan Rice – 8. Another game when the England international was the best midfielder on the pitch. His positioning and passing were crucial in a tight match. PA -
Jarrod Bowen – 7. Had a go at the Tottenham defence with his direct running on and off the ball but struggled to cause too much of a threat. EPA -
Said Benrahma – 6. Not the most effective game from the Algerian whose form since the start of the season has dipped somewhat. Getty Images -
Pablo Fornals – 6. Had a good chance to score in a game of few chances but couldn’t convert. Apart from that, a largely ineffective display. Reuters -
Michail Antonio – 8. West Ham’s main man delivered again, latching on to Cresswell’s corner to score the all-important goal. In a tight match, the striker proved the difference. PA -
TOTTENHAM PLAYER RATINGS: Hugo Lloris – 7. Pulled off some important saves to keep the score goalless but had no chance with Antonio’s winner. Reuters -
Emerson Royal – 6. Unable to attack with his usual frequency, which took away the biggest strengths of his game. AFP -
Cristian Romero – 7. Composed performance from the Argentine, who is fast proving an upgrade on recent Spurs centre-backs. PA -
Eric Dier – 6. There was nothing wrong with his performance but he was hardly rock solid either. Always feels like there’s a glaring mistake lurking around the corner. Reuters -
Sergio Reguilon – 6. Like Romero on the right, didn’t have the freedom to attack as much as he would have liked. Reuters -
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg – 7. Involved in a battle in the middle of the park and held his own as he so often does. EPA -
Oliver Skipp – 6. Can’t ever doubt his commitment and desire but perhaps lacked a bit of quality on the day. PA -
Lucas Moura – 5. Quiet game from the Brazilian forward. Hardly threatened. AFP -
Tanguy Ndombele – 6. Combined well with Son during the early part of the match but his influence faded. Another inconsistent game from the Frenchman. Getty Images -
Son Heung-min – 6. Lively in the first half and once again looked the most likely Spurs player to cause damage. Didn’t quite happen today, though. EPA -
Harry Kane – 5. Shouldn’t be judged too often on his defending but his attempt to mark Antonio for the West Ham goal was appalling. Posed little threat at the other end of the pitch. Reuters -
SUBS: Manuel Lanzini (Benrahma 85’) – N/A -
Craig Dawson (Bowen 90’+1) – N/A . PA -
SUBS: Giovani Lo Celso (Ndombele 84’) – N/A Getty Images -
Steven Bergwijn (Moura 90’+1) – N/A. PA
