Key events
Great news from Newcastle, who welcome back Alain Saint-Maximin. Otherwise, it’s mainly a second XI sent out by Eddie Howe – I guess he thinks top four is attainable, and in the long term that’s what his club needs and perhaps demands. But I don’t get why, with a break imminent and most of his players not going to the World Cup, he’s not doing all he can to try and win a trophy.
Palace, meanwhile, don’t even bring Eberechi Eze and Wilfried Zaha – I don’t know why not, because they’re not going to get the top four and probably not Europe either, nor are they going down, so why not go all out for this? Still, the beautiful Michael Olise starts, so for that we can all be thankful.
Steve Davis, Wolves manager for another five days, gives a debut start to Joe Hodge, while Leeds make 10 changes, with Jack Harrison the sole survivor from their uplifting comeback win at Boyrnemouth.
As for Chelsea, Danis Zakaria, who scored last week, is in again, while Lewis Hall, who’s just 18, makes his first start – so I’m excited to see what he’s got.
Pep Guardiola, though, goes pretty strong. He includes seven senior players – and Rico Lewis, who scored such a beautiful goal on debut against Sevilla last week. City also have loads on the bench, Haaland, and De Bruyne among them – and, I’m delighted to report, Kalvin Phillips, who’s coming back from injury.
West Ham and Blackburn both change everyone; I guess it makes sense, given Blackburn want promotion, while West Ham have Europe and plenty on the bench if things aren’t going their way.
I note from Twitter that Ben Doak is on the Liverpool bench. He’s only 16, and I’ve seen bits and pieces of him playing for the youth team – he looks very serious.
Jürgen Klopp wins the changes prize – he makes 111 of them. It’s great to see Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on from the start, and I’ve been really impressed with Fabio Carvalho. Derby, meanwhile, make just the one alteration, Conor Hourihane for Lewis Dobbin.
Wales announce their World Cup squad!
Goalkeepers:Wayne Hennessey (Nottingham Forest), Danny Ward (Leicester City), Adam Davies (Stoke City).
Defenders: Neco Williams (Nottingham Forest), Ben Davies (Tottenham Hotspur), Ben Cabango (Swansea City), Joe Rodon (Rennes, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur), Chris Mepham (Bournemouth), Ethan Ampadu (Spezia, on loan from Chelsea), Chris Gunter (AFC Wimbledon), Connor Roberts (Burnley), Tom Lockyer (Luton Town).
Midfielders: Aaron Ramsey (Nice), Joe Allen (Swansea City), Harry Wilson (Fulham), Joe Morrell (Portsmouth), Dylan Levitt (Dundee United), Rubin Colwill (Cardiff City), Jonny Williams (Swindon Town), Matthew Smith (Milton Keynes Dons), Sorba Thomas (Huddersfield Town).
Forwards: Gareth Bale (Los Angeles FC), Dan James (Fulham, on loan from Leeds United), Kieffer Moore (Bournemouth), Mark Harris (Cardiff City), Brennan Johnson (Nottingham Forest).
There’s a lot to digest as regards these teams, so let’s see how we get on. But in the meantime, you can follow Scott’s Man City v Chelsea blog here:
Arsenal v Brighton & Hove Albion teams
Manchester City v Chelsea teams
🔵 TEAM NEWS 🔵
XI | Ortega Moreno, Lewis, Dias, Laporte, Gomez, Rodrigo, Gundogan (C), Palmer, Mahrez, Grealish, Alvarez
SUBS | Ederson, Phillips, Stones, Ake, Haaland, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Akanji, Foden#ManCity | @HaysWorldwide pic.twitter.com/bJK2qtEIas
— Manchester City (@ManCity) November 9, 2022
Liverpool v Derby County teams
Here’s the team! 📋🐏
Conor Hourihane replaces Lewis Dobbin in the XI, whilst Jason Knight and David McGoldrick are back in the matchday squad!
𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗘 𝗢𝗡 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗥𝗔𝗠𝗦 🖤🤍#DCFC pic.twitter.com/6akd80zXRb
— Derby County (@dcfcofficial) November 9, 2022
For some reason we don’t yet have the Arsenal side but bear with me and them – it’s en route.
West Ham United v Blackburn Rovers teams
Southampton v Sheffield Wednesday teams
Here’s how we line up at St Mary’s! 🦉
XI | Stockdale, Iorfa, Ihiekwe, McGuinness, Johnson, Dele-Bashiru, Bannan, Bakinson, Paterson, Windass, Gregory
Subs | Charles, Agbontohoma, Brown, James, Shipston, Vaulks, Cadamarteri, Smith#SOUSHW pic.twitter.com/dvy3kXTEmW
— Sheffield Wednesday (@swfc) November 9, 2022
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Leeds United teams
Nottingham Forest v Tottenham Hotspur teams
Newcastle United v Crystal Palace teams
Preamble
Evening all, and welcome to your Carabao Cup round three clockwatch – there’s fair bit going on tonight, so let’s get to it.
The most resonant game, Manchester City v Chelsea, you can follow next door with Scott Murray, but Chelsea – and Graham Potter in particular – will be desperate for a performance having lost at home to Arsenal on Sunday. City, though, won this trophy in each of the four seasons prior to this one, so won’t be letting the tie go to pursue other goals.
Elsewhere, we’ve got got four all-Premier League encounters: Wolves v Leeds, Arsenal v Brighton, Forest v Spurs and Newcastle v Palace, though we won’t have much idea of how they’ll go prior to seeing who’s resting whom. But the last of those, in particular looks tasty, clubs in good nick and decent form who should really be trying to win the thing.
Ans otherwise, the holders Liverpool are at home to Derby; Sheffield Wednesday, riding high in League One, will fancy themselves away to managerless Southampton; and Blackburn, second in the Championship, have a chance of shocking West Ham, another side who should be targeting the trophy – especially if David Moyes rotates.
All of which is a longwinded way of saying you’d best stick with me, because this has all the makings of an extremely fun night of association football.
Kick-offs:
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Leeds United, Arsenal v Brighton & Hove Albion, Nottingham Forest v Spurs, Newcastle United v Crystal Palace, Southampton v Sheffield Wednesday, West Ham United v Blackburn Rovers – 7.45pm GMT
Manchester City v Chelsea, Liverpool v Derby County – 8pm GMT
