Mansion Sports – The Carabao Cup 2025/2026 quarter-final stage will present an interesting match between Manchester City hosting Brentford.

This match is scheduled to take place at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday, 17 December 2025 at 19.30 local time.

This match becomes the first of three Carabao Cup quarter-finals involving Premier League clubs.

Manchester City advanced to this stage after defeating Swansea City 3-1, while Brentford eliminated Grimsby Town with a convincing 5-0 scoreline.

Before this match kicks off, here is the Mansion Sports prediction for the Manchester City vs Brentford lineups for December 2025 below.

Condition of Both Teams Ahead of the Match

Manchester City

Although the Premier League and Champions League trophies remain the main priorities, the Carabao Cup still holds a special place for Pep Guardiola and his squad.

Manchester City won six of the eight editions of this tournament between the 2013-14 and 2020-21 seasons, but since defeating Tottenham Hotspur in their most recent final, they have not added to their trophy collection. In fact, since then, they have not progressed beyond the quarter-final stage.

Advancing to the semi-finals on Wednesday would be a positive sign for the Sky Blues. In the last six quarter-finals they won, City always went on to lift the trophy, although in the 2022-23 season they were eliminated at the same stage by Southampton.

Guardiola led his team to routine victories over Huddersfield Town and Swansea previously, and City enter this match in excellent form, winning their last five matches in all competitions.

The 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace in the Premier League last weekend did not fully reflect the course of the game, as Palace failed to capitalize on their chances, while City were clinical in maximizing theirs.

At present, Guardiola’s team remains Arsenal’s closest challenger in the Premier League standings. From their last ten home matches, they have won nine, with the only defeat occurring in the Champions League against Bayer Leverkusen.

Brentford

While Manchester City faced lower-level teams in the Carabao Cup this season, Brentford under Keith Andrews eliminated Bournemouth and Aston Villa before reaching the quarter-finals.
Brentford secured a 5-0 win over Grimsby Town thanks to five different goalscorers. The West London club has now reached the EFL Cup quarter-finals for the fourth time in six seasons, although their journey last season ended at this stage against eventual champions Newcastle United.

History records that Brentford have reached the League Cup semi-finals only once, losing to Spurs in 2021.

Trends and performance records indicate a difficult challenge for Andrews to replicate the achievements previously delivered by Thomas Frank.

Brentford have not won in their last three matches, following a 1-1 draw against Leeds United, a match they could have won given the greater number of chances they created.

In addition, they have suffered four consecutive away defeats, conceding at least two goals per match, and City extended their unbeaten record against Brentford to five matches after a 1-0 victory in October.

Manchester City vs Brentford Predicted Lineups – December 2025

Manchester City (4-2-3-1)

City face several injury problems ahead of this match. Jeremy Doku is sidelined with a foot injury, John Stones has not recovered from a thigh issue, Rodri is only expected to return at the end of the month due to a hamstring injury, and Mateo Kovacic requires several months of recovery due to an ankle injury.

Even so, Guardiola can still rely on squad rotation options such as Savinho, Oscar Bobb, Rico Lewis, and James Trafford. Omar Marmoush and Rayan Ait-Nouri are also unavailable due to Africa Cup of Nations preparations.

Brentford (4-2-3-1)

Brentford receive positive news with the return of Kevin Schade, who missed the match against Leeds due to suspension. 

However, Reiss Nelson, Josh Dasilva, Antoni Milambo, and Fabio Carvalho remain sidelined with injuries.

Without European competition, Andrews is likely to field an almost full-strength lineup, although he must decide whether to start Hakon Valdimarsson or Caoimhin Kelleher in goal. 

Two other players, Dango Ouattara and Frank Onyeka, are unavailable due to the Africa Cup of Nations.

This quarter-final stage promises an exciting and tactical contest. Manchester City will be eager to maintain their dominance in this competition, while Brentford hope to create an upset and reach the semi-finals. This match will be an engaging spectacle for all fans of English football.