Manchester City travels to Wales looking to continue their pursuit of domestic cup glory as they face Swansea City fourth round of the Carabao Cup, Softfootball reports

The Swans come into this one full of confidence after a home win over Norwich City lifted them to 13th in the Championship. Alan Sheehan’s men have already proven capable of springing a surprise, having edged Premier League side Nottingham Forest 3–2 in the previous round.

Manchester City, meanwhile, will be aiming to respond after a narrow defeat to Aston Villa in the Premier League. Pep Guardiola’s side are targeting a return to winning ways and a place in the quarter-finals of the competition.

Team News

Speaking ahead of the clash. Swansea manager Alan Sheehen expressed optimism and called on their fan to create a special atmosphere in the stadium.

We’re hoping for a wonderful atmosphere out there and to have a really good night for the football club.

Watch the clip as shared on the club’s official x handle below:

"We’re hoping for a wonderful atmosphere out there and to have a really good night for the football club."

Alan Sheehan looks ahead to tomorrow's clash against Manchester City https://t.co/FV0E0fY3n1 pic.twitter.com/bbv7ylCwFC

— Swansea City AFC (@SwansOfficial) October 28, 2025

Swansea will again be without Ricardo Santos who has a knee injury. Malick Yalcouye is still on suspension. Head coach Alan Sheehan is expected to rotate, with Adam Idah likely to lead the attack, while Benson Manuel Hedilazio and Ishe Samuels-Smith could both feature from the start.

In a pre match conference interview shared on the club’s official x handle, Guardiola confirmed he plans to rotate his squad, allowing opportunities for those needing minutes while giving others a rest. He said:

Yes, absolutely. The Carabao Cup has always been like that. Some players need rest, and others need minutes to show they’re ready. The competition is perfect for that.

Pep Guardiola provided an update on the fitness of several key players, including Haaland, Khusanov, and Rodri.

Erling [Haaland] — I didn’t see him yet today, but it was a knock. We’ll train this afternoon and see how he feels,” said Guardiola.

He also confirmed that Abdukodir Khusanov is ready to make his return after missing the last seven matches.

[Abdukodir] Khusanov is ready; he’ll play a few minutes tomorrow.

He also offered a cautious update on Rodri, who continues his recovery from a muscular issue.

Rodri still is not ready. He’s getting better, he’s training, but of course, after what happened twice, we are going to see.

Pep (Injury updates) Erling [Haaland] I didn’t see him yet today, but it was a knock. We will train this afternoon and see how he feels.

[Abdukodir] Khusanov is ready, he'll play a few minutes tomorrow.

Rodri still is not ready. He's getting better, he's training but of… pic.twitter.com/UQrqrpponm

— Manchester City (@ManCity) October 28, 2025

The City boss also expressed excitement about Omar Marmoush’s return to form after an injury-hit spell. He noted

Omar and Erling can play together. If we need players close to the box, Omar is the best we have alongside Erling. He’s still young and has room to improve.

Predicted Lineups

Swansea City: Fisher; Key, Casey, Burgess, Samuels-Smith; Franco, Galbraith; Manuel Hedilazio, Cullen, Eom; Idah

Manchester City: Trafford; Nunes, Stones, Ake, O’Reilly; Lewis; Bobb, Kovacic, Nico, Doku; Marmoush

Prediction

Swansea will look to use their home crowd and recent form to their advantage, but even with rotation, Manchester City’s quality and depth make them strong favourites to progress.

Prediction: Swansea City 0–2 Manchester City

Al-Nassr continued their flawless start to the Saudi Pro League with a 2-0 triumph over Al-Hazem, moving three points clear at the top of the table. Goals from Joao Felix and Cristiano Ronaldo secured the three points, extending their perfect run, Softfootball reports.

After earning praise from fans in Al-Nassr’s previous match against Al Fateh, João Félix didn’t disappoint, continuing his fine form.

Joao Felix opened the scoring in the 25th minute, heading Aiman Yahya’s cross into the top-right corner. He came close to doubling his tally before halftime, only to see a left-footed effort cleared off the line, while Angelo also struck the crossbar with a long-range attempt.

Al Hazm’s goalkeeper, Bruno Varela, played a crucial role early on, denying both Kingsley Coman and Angelo to keep the sheet intact.

As the second half unfolded, Cristiano Ronaldo worked tirelessly to unlock the opposition defense, threading quality passes to teammates Kingsley Coman and Sadio Mane, though Al-Nassr’s potent attack failed to find another goal.

Mane drove forward from midfield, played a perfect pass to Coman, who delivered a low cross into the box. Ronaldo finished calmly from close range, scoring his 950th career goal and sealing Al-Nassr’s 2-0 victory.

Al-Hazem struggled to find a foothold in the game, with limited chances and few threatening moments. Their defensive line was consistently tested by Al-Nassr’s pace and precision, and they were unable to capitalize on the few opportunities they created.

Al-Nassr shared the final result of their clash with Al-Hazem on their official X handle:

Full time pic.twitter.com/lAiGDn5QZQ

— AlNassr FC (@AlNassrFC_EN) October 25, 2025

With this result, Al-Nassr maintain their perfect record, sending a strong statement to the rest of the league as they aim to extend their winning streak and continue their challenge for the title.

The team now looks ahead to their next league fixture with confidence, knowing they have started the season in ideal fashion.

Paris Saint Germain returned to Ligue 1 summit with a commanding 3-0 victory over Brest at Stade Francis-Le Ble. Achraf Hakimi bagged a well-taken double to start his season’s tally, while Desire Doue rounded off the win with a stoppage time goal, Softfootball reports.

Following an emphatic 7-2 Champions League victory over Bayer Leverkusen, Paris Saint Germain looked to bounce back in Ligue 1 after consecutive draws with Lille and Strasbourg.

They dominated in possession and territory dominance at the start of the game, but finding a way past Radosław Majecki proved difficult.

Brest created the first real chance of the match when Junior Dina Ebimbe squared the ball to Pathe Mboup in the box, but the forward’s effort was straight at Lucas Chevalier. At the other end, Radosław Majecki kept Senny Mayulu at bay with a smart save.

PSG broke the deadlock just before 30 minutes through Achraf Hakimi, who volleyed home Vitinha’s lofted pass to the back post.

The Morocco international doubled PSG’s advantage in the 39th minute, converting a lucky rebound from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s mishit into the top-right corner.

Brest nearly pulled one back in a quiet second half when Lee Kang-In was penalized for handball after a lengthy VAR check. Del Castillo, however, lost his footing and sent his shot over the bar.

In stoppage time, PSG sealed the win as Désiré Doué, after twice hitting the woodwork, finally found the net in the sixth minute. Played through by Warren Zaire-Emery, he finished emphatically past Majecki.

Paris Saint Germain also took to their official X handle to share the 3-0 final result.

Victoire à Brest pic.twitter.com/x4WE1CWPYr

— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_inside) October 25, 2025

PSG displayed remarkable composure, looking like a side rediscovering its confidence. The victory extended their unbeaten run against Brest to 33 games, a streak dating back to 1985, underscoring why they continue to lead the French football scene.

With Hakimi in fine form, Dembele’s return, and the squad beginning to click again, Paris Saint-Germain appears to be hitting their stride at just the right moment.

Manchester United returns to the Premier League action with a trip to Villa park on Sunday as they aim to extend their winning steak to 4 games.

The Cityzens currently sitting second in the Premier League standings returns to the league after securing a 2-0 Champions league victory against Villarreal.

The Villans however, have enjoyed a remarkable turnaround. Last week in the Premier League, they impressively came from behind to defeat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 in North London.

However they came crashing to the ground when they suffered a 2-1 defeat from by Go Ahead Eagles in the Europa League. Unai Emery’s focus would be on extending their winning run in the premier league.

Aston Villa Pre-Match Interview

Ahead of Villa’s clash with City, Unai Emery shared his thoughts on the challenges of facing the Cityzens during a pre match conference interview shared on the club’s official X handle.

He emphasized on the importance of the team’s collective focus on Erling Haaling saying:

Firstly, collectively we should try to be very, very focused to stop [Haaland]… we will need some cover with other players, and then tactically we can stop him in different ways… everything that happened yesterday is learning… now focusing Premier League, Manchester City on Sunday.

Emery also explained his approach for selecting players while focusing on central midfielders.

Harvey is a 10 number in our structure… his performance was not enough (up to this point)… he has to continue working like he is doing in the training session and getting his confidence in the performance we need through him.

𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄

Man City (H)
Premier League
Unai Emery

Full press conference – https://t.co/8iZXn5boUx pic.twitter.com/Lga2khBE47

— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) October 24, 2025

The Villans, via their official X handle, celebrated Unai Emery’s three-year tenure at Aston Villa. They shared a special video montage to commemorate his time in charge, highlighting memorable European nights, tactical milestones, and the remarkable transformation he has led since taking over in 2022. Watch below:

From touchline passion to special European nights at Villa Park – the best moments after three years of Unai Emery.

You can also win a signed shirt from The Boss here – https://t.co/uuckxWetwl pic.twitter.com/G2UOs8Lbgx

— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) October 24, 2025

Manchester City Pre Match Interview

City’s manager Pep Guardiola during his pre-match press conference interview that was shared on the club’s official YouTube channel provided updates ahead of their clash with the Villans.

On the squads fitness, Guardiola confirmed that Nico Gonzoles, who was substituted during City’s 2-0 away win over Villarreal with a foot injury, would be accessed before the clash. Abdukodir Khusanov and Rodri would still be sidelined.

The manager also praised Matheus Nunes, who has been impressive since the departure of Kyle Walker. He said:

He can be an incredible right-back. Matheus is a holding midfielder with incredible physicality… he has special attributions to play in the sides, and in the last two or three games he has played unbelievable.

Discussing City’s league position and the bigger picture for the title race, Guardiola added:

I know the pundits and specialists… Always you wait 10-15 games to know exactly what’s going on. Obviously Liverpool and Arsenal will be there, someone else will be there and hopefully we can be there too.

The Cityzens official X handle, highlighting the squads preparation for the game ahead as they shared:

Working towards Villa pic.twitter.com/Rh7Fh8P7Se

— Manchester City (@ManCity) October 24, 2025

In a clip seen on the club’s official X handle, Erling Haaland was seen mimicking former defender Aleksander Kolarov as he showed his versatility, precise crossing, and ball control. Watch below:

"Aleksandar Kolarov!" pic.twitter.com/qzk5tDNtET

— Manchester City (@ManCity) October 24, 2025

Tactical Preview

Aston’s Villa’s strong home form under Unai Emery faces Manchester City’s dominant record and unbeaten run. They hold 31 Premier League wins and 101 goals against Villa. While the Villans resilience suggests a tight game, City’s unbeaten steak gives them the edge.

Key battles will feature Haaland testing The Lion’s defense, Nunes pressing down the left flank, and a fierce midfield duel where City will look to control possession.

The Lions however rests their hopes on Ollie Watkins, Donyell Malen, and Emiliano Buendía to create decisive moments, while Emery’s tactical setup will aim to disrupt City’s rhythm and exploit transitions.

Expected Lineups

Aston Villa (4-2-3-1): Emiliano Martinez; Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa, Pau Torres, Lucas Digne; Boubacar Kamara, Amadou Onana; Evann Guessand, Morgan Rogers, John McGinn; Donyell Malen.

Manchester City (4-1-4-1): Gianluigi Donnarumma; Matheus Nunes, Rúben Dias, Josko Gvardiol, Nathan Aké; Rico Lewis; Phil Foden, Tijjani Reijnders, Bernardo Silva, Savinho; Erling Haaland.

Predictions

While Villa have the home advantage and a rejuvenated squad under Emery, City’s experience, depth, and recent form make them favorites.

Expect tactical battles across midfield and wide areas, with Haaland likely to be decisive. A closely fought match seems likely, but City may edge it with quality and clinical finishing.