September 24, (THEWILL) – In a routine victory at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester City overcame Championship side Watford 2-1 in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday evening.
With Rodri sidelined due to injury, Pep Guardiola handed a first competitive start to 19-year-old Nico O’Reilly in midfield. The youngster put in a tidy display, exhibiting some neat touches and interceptions that will please the City manager.
Jeremy Doku opened the scoring for the home side inside the first five minutes, capitalising on some sloppy Watford defending to slot past goalkeeper Jonathan Bond. Matheus Nunes then doubled Manchester City’s lead just before the break, firing home from the edge of the box.
Watford’s Tom Ince grabbed a consolation goal late on with a superb long-range strike, but it proved to be merely a footnote as Man City comfortably saw out the victory.
The win sets up a potential clash with Newcastle United in the next round of the Carabao Cup, as Guardiola’s side look to defend their trophy.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
