Manchester City squad faces strength in depth test against Newcastle in League Cup

Injuries and suspensions add to manager Guardiola's concerns about how his team will cope with crowded fixture schedule

Kalvin Phillips of Manchester City in action during the Premier League match against Nottingham Forest. Getty

Last season, the most successful of Manchester City’s history, the credit was shared out widely. In the domestic cup competitions, no outfield player started more matches than Aymeric Laporte. When he held up the FA Cup, he clasped the trophy with a well-earned sense of ownership.

Across the English cups, no forward was on the pitch for more minutes than Riyad Mahrez, City’s leading scorer in the FA Cup segment of their treble.

As City travel to Newcastle United to embark on their bid for the one significant piece of silverware, the League Cup, that escaped them in their glorious 2022/23 campaign, a glance back at how senior roles were rotated and spread last time around seems apt.

The League Cup is a platform for studied team changes and, carefully planned, an opportunity for the bigger, busier clubs to give first-team minutes to young talents or those who might feel marginalised.

And when a squad can call on the likes of Laporte and Mahrez to guarantee a certain level of freshness, it is a deep squad indeed. But here’s the new reality for City: Laporte and Mahrez, along with Ilkay Gundogan and academy-graduate Cole Palmer, were the outfielders most used in City’s three rounds of League Cup action last season; all of them left the club in the summer.

They are significant departures and, if sympathy for Pep Guardiola when he worries out loud about how his resources will be stretched given the fixture congestion in this crowded season tends to be limited, he pointed out fatigue can become cumulative. “The problem is the lack of rest, mentally especially, over years and years,” said the City manager.

His club sell shrewdly, buy wisely and spend big wherever potential to improve is identified. On the evidence of seven wins out of seven in competitive matches – since City lost the Community Shield on penalties to Arsenal – a roster that replaces Mahrez with Jeremy Doku, Laporte with Josko Gvardiol and brings in Matheus Nunes and Mateo Kovacic to cover some of gaps left by Gundogan should be a squad equipped for most terrains.

But once you strip away Kevin de Bruyne, recuperating from injury until the new year, and Rodri, suspended following his red card against Nottingham Forest, then Guardiola’s concerns about back-up come into sharp focus.

Man City 2 Forest 0: Player ratings

MAN CITY RATINGS: Not a save to make until 71st minute and even that was a tame Elanga volley at his near post from tight angle. Easy save from Boly attempt late on. Booked after going head-to-head with Awoniyi after accusing Forest striker of trying to dive to win penalty in second half. Getty

Perfectly timed run and velvet touch to set-up Foden’s opener. Rare sight in second half when the City right-back was beaten for pace by Aina down. Is in top form at the moment. PA

Match went from being walk in the park, to backs against the wall at times after Rodri sending off as Forest threw caution to the wind. Portuguese defender stood firm though and helped keep real Forest opportunities down to minimum. EPA

Big-money summer signing hardly trouble in first half although there was some wayward passing from the Croatian. Went down holding his face at one point in second half despite fact Origi kicking him in ribs. Reuters

Booked for tripping Awoniyi right on edge of area with only fact there was covering defender preventing possible red. Apart from that, usual steady game from Swiss. AP

In thick of action from start with crunching tackles and sending a superb ball behind defence to find Walker and help set-up Foden’s early goal. Had ran the show from midfield then suddenly saw red straight after half-time after grabbing Gibbs-White round neck. Madness from the Portuguese. Getty

Scored first City goal last weekend and ripped through Forest’s defence at will in first half here. Winger was sacrificed just after break following Rodri’s red card. Reuters

Summer signing from Wolves produced a beautiful cross to pick out Haaland for City’s second goal. Good all-round performance from Portugal midfielder. Getty

Cracking first-time finish to put City in front after seven minutes – after a 46-pass City move - and played key role in Haaland scoring second. Deserved standing ovation when taken off late on. EPA

Drove shot straight at keeper when he could have put City 3-0 up as they ran riot early on but was key figure in scintillating attacking display from City. Taken off in reshuffle after sending off. Getty

Given incredible amount of space to head home City’s second. Audible surprise around Etihad when he shot over close-range volley in 78th minute. The Norwegian has eight goals in Premier League six games. EPA

SUBS: (On for Doku 52’) Brought on to add some protection in front of the defence for 10-man City, which is exactly what the England midfielder did. Getty

(On for Alvarez 57’) Good run and ball across six-yard box that you would normally expect Haaland to finish, but the Norwegian fired over. AP

(On for Foden 87’) Only on for few minutes but still managed to get himself in crossed words with several Forest players. PA

NOTTINGHAM FOREST RATINGS: No chance with either goal as defence failed to contain some superb City attacking moves. Wayward finishing rather than saves from Turner kept score at 2-0. EPA

Helpless as Forest’s defence was ripped to shreds by fantastic City start to game. Even with 10 men, City caused the Forest defence problems with Foden in particular a constant menace. Reuters

Brilliant sliding block to prevent Alvarez making it 3-0 as Forest desperately tried to prevent a goals avalanche in first half. Hit shot straight at Ederson in injury-time. AP

Given run around the City midfield with Doku ghosting past the Forest defender at will and would have been delighted when the Belgian went off in second half. Reuters

Was guilty of losing Haaland before Norwegian scored City’s second. Experienced Ivorian was sacrificed as Forest brough on attackers as they went chasing game in second half. EPA

Caught out by Rodri’s wonderful ball over defence ahead of Foden’s opener. Booked for cynical foul on Doku to halt City counter-attack. Pulled up with what looked like a groin injury bringing an early end to torrid game for Portuguese. Getty

Booked for late challenge on Rodri at end of a first-half where Forest’s midfield had been chasing shadows from start to finish. EPA

Like rest of teammates, helpless in face of a fantastic opening 45 minutes of football from City. Fired first-time effort way over bar from edge of area just after break. Booked for foul on Foden later in half. Reuters

Argentine couldn’t get near City’s midfield until Rodri’s sending off. Sent first-time shot wide of target from edge of area in second half. AP

Bundled over by Akanji in rare Forest attack in first half when almost through on goal. Had another opportunity in first-half injury-time but control let him down before getting shot away. Booked after clash with Ederson after break. EPA

Saw free-kick on edge in first half are take big deflection wrong-footing Ederson but spinning out for corner. Went down theatrically after Rodri put hands round his throat. Picked up booking in same incident and was jeered by City fans for rest of game. Getty

SUBS: (On for Tavares 42’) Fine tracking back followed by vital sliding challenge to prevent Foden crossing ball to Haaland in second-half City counter-attack. EPA

(On for Sangare 56’) Former Manchester United player ignored the home fans’ jeers and went close to pulling one back in injury-time only to be denied by excellent Ederson save. Getty

(On for Aurier 56) Scored cracker against Burnley last week but couldn’t produce same when Forest desperately needed that cutting edge here. EPA

(On for Awoniyi 75’) No opportunity for big striker to make an impact. Reuters

(On for Aina 75’) Another attacking sub by Forest but another who could not drag team back into contest. EPA

Kovacic, signed from Chelsea in the summer, has missed the last three matches overcoming a back problem, and although Guardiola will likely name him in the party to face Newcastle, he anticipates the Croatian playing much less than a full 90 minutes.

He did confirm Kalvin Phillips will start this evening, an encouraging signal to the England midfielder who, since joining City from Leeds United 15 months ago has been in Guardiola’s starting line-up a mere four times.

His praise for Phillips, ahead of the glamour tie of the League Cup’s third round, was intended to motivate. “He’s been really important,” said Guardiola, singling out Phillips’s authority coming off the bench with City reduced to 10 men for most of the second half in the 2-0 win against Forest. “His consistency, [his being] more defensive, resilient, he helped us breathe.”

Patchy first seasons for players stepping up into an ambitious club can be forgiven. But their second year comes with expectation that a high price tag must now be justified. Phillips, 27, is at that threshold of his career.

As Newcastle manager Eddie Howe surveyed his squad, boosted by a number of costly reinforcements in the last three transfer windows, he described Anthony Gordon, the winger, in just those terms. Gordon, 22, left Everton for Champions League-bound Newcastle in January, and tended to be used initially from the bench.

Since August, he has been in the starting XI for all but one game. “An outstanding start to the season,” said Howe. “What’s pleased me most is his fitness level. His athleticism has really come to the fore.

“When we sign players, there needs to be patience. Much as you want to them to be outstanding from minute one, that’s very rare. Sometimes there’s a bedding-in period. Some players take longer than others. We had no doubt about Anthony’s quality but I think pre-season was really good for him, as were the six months with us before the summer. He came back with greater understanding.”

Gordon has two goals and a pair of assists to his credit so far in 2023/24, and, although at Sheffield United at the weekend he came on for the injured Harvey Barnes, by the end of the 8-0 rout he had his name on the scoresheet.

Strength in depth? A good spread of attacking options? Newcastle are acquiring it. Eight players scored in Sheffield. “It’s a great thing to see,” said Howe, “We’re not relying on one person.”