Manchester City opens their 2025-26 Carabao Cup campaign with a third-round tie against Huddersfield Town on September 24, 2025, at the Accu Stadium. The match promises to be an exciting encounter, especially given City’s demanding schedule, having recently faced Napoli in the Champions League and a Manchester derby against Manchester United.
How to Watch
For fans eager to follow the action live, the match will be broadcast on several platforms:
- UK: Sky Sports
- U.S.: Paramount+
- India: FanCode
- Australia: BeIN Sports
Additionally, live updates will be available on ESPN.
Match Details
- Date: Wednesday, September 24, 2025
- Time: 7:45 p.m. BST (2:45 p.m. ET; 12:15 a.m. IST on Sept 25; 4:45 a.m. AEST on Sept 25)
- Venue: Accu Stadium, Huddersfield
- Referee: Michael Salisbury
- VAR: Not in operation
Team News
Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town enters this match in decent form but lacking victories recently. They currently sit fourth in the League One standings, having accumulated 16 points from nine games. However, their last two matches have proven challenging, including a goalless draw against Burton Albion and a 3-1 defeat to Bradford City. Fortunately, there are no notable injury concerns, which means they can field a strong squad.
Projected Starting XI:
- GK: Lee Nicholls
- RB: Lasse Sorenson
- CB: Josh Feeney
- CB: Joe Low
- LB: Ruben Roosken
- DM: Ryan Ledson
- DM: David Kasumu
- RW: Leo Casteldine
- CAM: Alfie May
- LW: Will Alves
- CF: Joseph Taylor
Manchester City
Manchester City, under Pep Guardiola, is facing several injury challenges as they look to rotate their lineup. The club has a busy schedule with important Premier League matches on the horizon, including a fixture against Burnley shortly after this cup tie. The team’s workload has drawn complaints from Guardiola, emphasizing the physical strain on his players.
Injury List:
- Mateo Kovacic: Achilles tendon (OUT, expected return early Oct)
- Omar Marmoush: Knee (OUT, expected return early Oct)
- Rayan Cherki: Thigh (OUT, expected return early Nov)
- Rayan Ait-Nouri: Ankle (DOUBT)
- Abdukodir Khusanov: Knock (DOUBT)
- Nico O’Reilly: Knock (DOUBT)
Projected Starting XI:
- GK: James Trafford
- RB: Rico Lewis
- CB: John Stones
- CB: Josko Gvardiol
- LB: Nathan Ake
- CM: Matheus Nunes
- CDM: Nico Gonzalez
- CM: Bernardo Silva
- RW: Oscar Bobb
- CF: Phil Foden
- LW: Savinho
Historical Context
Historically, Manchester City has been one of the strongest teams in the history of the League Cup, boasting eight titles, with their most dominant stretch occurring from 2018 to 2021 when they won four consecutive cups. The head-to-head record against Huddersfield Town is also favorable for City, having won 29 out of 81 meetings, with 30 draws and 22 losses.
In recent encounters, City has shown a strong offensive output against Huddersfield, scoring 14 goals in their last three games. This historical dominance puts Guardiola’s men heavily favored to advance in the competition.
Recent Form and Performance Analysis
Both teams enter this match with contrasting expectations. City is vying for another cup title while maintaining its status at the top of English football. They faced some frustration last match against Arsenal, where a late equalizer stole a crucial win from them, highlighting their vulnerability under pressure.
On the other hand, Huddersfield is looking to build momentum and confidence following a successful upset against a Premier League team in their previous round. Their ability to attract a strong fanbase could serve as an advantage in this cup tie.
Insights and Predictions
Given Manchester City’s history in the League Cup and the strength of their squad, they are likely to dominate possession and create numerous scoring opportunities. However, Huddersfield’s performance in previous rounds, coupled with their fighting spirit in front of home fans, could lead to an interesting match.
Key players like Phil Foden for City and Joseph Taylor for Huddersfield will be essential in influencing the game’s outcome. While Manchester City is the heavy favorite, an upset in the cup is never off the table, especially with the St. John’s faithful backing their team.
Conclusion
The Carabao Cup match between Huddersfield and Manchester City promises to be an exciting encounter as both teams look to assert their strengths. Following the match’s build-up, as fans prepare for live updates or to tune in through their respective platforms, anticipation will undoubtedly be high.
As it stands, whoever prevails will not only progress to the next round of the League Cup but will also gain invaluable momentum heading into the crucial weeks of the season ahead.
