West Ham v City: Palmer starts as City make nine changes

Men's Team

West Ham v City: MATCH DAY LIVE

The Academy graduate, who scored on his last senior appearance against Club Brugge, starts for the first time since the Community Shield defeat to Leicester City.

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City also welcome back Raheem Sterling after a back problem ruled him out of the 4-1 win over Brighton and Hove Albion at the weekend, with Kyle Walker and Ilkay Gundogan the only players retained from that game.

Zack Steffen replaces Ederson in goal, as is customary in this competition and the Brazilian is given a night off as Scott Carson is named amongst the substitutes.

John Stones, Nathan Ake and Oleksandr Zinchenko all come into the back four alongside Walker, whilst further forward, Fernandinho, Kevin De Bruyne, Riyad Mahrez return with Sterling.

18-year-old Sam Edozie is on a bench packed with first team talent.

CITY: Steffen, Walker, Stones, Ake, Zinchenko, Fernandinho (C), Gundogan, De Bruyne, Mahrez, Palmer, Sterling.

SUBS: Carson, Dias, Jesus, Grealish, Laporte, Rodrigo, Cancelo, Foden, Edozie.

WEST HAM: Areola, Johnson, Diop, Dawson, Cresswell, Noble (C), Soucek, Vlasic, Lanzini, Masuaku, Yarmolenko.

SUBS: Randolph, Coufal, Ashby, Baptiste, Zouma, Chesters, Fornals, Benrahma, Bowen.

Pep Guardiola handed five teenagers debuts against Wycombe Wanderers in the third round, but has opted for more experience for tonight’s Premier League opponents as City continue our defence of the trophy we’ve won in each of the last four seasons.

The personnel involved suggest the Catalan has opted for the 4-3-3 formation he has utilised throughout this season, with Walker and Zinchenko in their usual full-back roles either side of Stones and Ake at the heart of defence.

Fernandinho is the midfield anchor man, behind the creative duo of Gundogan and De Bruyne, but in the front three we will have to wait until kick-off to find who is playing where.

Mahrez should line up on the right flank, but it remains to be seen who will lead the line up front between Palmer and Sterling.

• City have eliminated West Ham in our two previous League Cup ties, winning a 1984-85 third round replay 2-1 and recording a 9-0 aggregate victory in the 2013-14 semi-final.
• We have won 10 of our last 11 meetings with the Hammers in all competitions (D1), scoring 33 goals during this run.
• City have progressed from/won each of our last 21 League Cup ties, with only Liverpool having a longer such run in the competition (25 between 1980 and 1984).
• We have progressed from nine of our last 11 League Cup fourth round ties, only falling short to Man Utd in 2016-17 and Newcastle in 2014-15.
• City are unbeaten in each of our last 12 away League Cup matches (excluding. neutral venues), winning 10 and drawing two (winning on penalties in both draws).
• Phil Foden has been directly involved in nine goals in his last seven starts in the League Cup, scoring three and assisting six.
• During Pep Guardiola’s time with the Club, City have scored more goals in the League Cup than any other team since the start of 2016-17 (61) – 19 more than any other side.

CITYZENS: SCORE PREDICTOR - Score Predictor_West Ham v City EFL_All