When the sides kick-off, it will have been more three years since we last suffered a League Cup loss.
Ironically, Old Trafford was also the venue on that occasion as a young City side lost 1-0 to United in a fourth-round encounter during the early part of Pep Guardiola’s first season at the Club.
In the ensuing three and bit years – or 1,168 days to be precise by the time of kick-off – City have become the Carabao Cup standard bearers.
READ: Monday marker: Your guide to City’s week ahead
WATCH: Oxford 1-3 City | Carabao Cup highlights
Our success in the 2018 tournament not only precipitated a period of League Cup dominance but also served as the springboard for a haul of silverware unparalleled in the Club’s history.
That 2017/18 success was followed later that season by City going on to lift the Premier League and become the first English side to amass 100 points.
The following season saw City repeat the feat as we became the first side in history to win all four major English honours.
Now, we are just three games away from what would be a third consecutive Carabao Cup success with United standing in our way of another trip to Wembley.
Our trail to this season’s semi-finals has seen us record a third round win over Preston (3-0) and subsequent 3-1 successes against both Southampton and Oxford United.
The facts and figures of our Carabao Cup exploits make for some impressive reading.
In total, we’ve won 16 straight games in the competition since September 2017, albeit four of them on penalties after those matches finishes in a draw.
We’ve scored 36 goals in the process, conceding just eight.
The Carabao Cup has also provided the platform for a succession of exciting young players to receive their inaugural taste of first team football.
In total 39 players have figured for the Club in that long unbeaten run – with the competition offering debuts for Oleks Zinchenko, Eric Garcia, Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Tommy Doyle to name but a few.
If we were to taste success this season, it would be the seventh time in the Club’s history we have won it and our fifth in seven years.
The way City have set about this year’s campaign, who would bet against us making it a hat-trick in the first weekend of March?
READ: Where can I watch Manchester United v City in the Carabao Cup semi-final?
WATCH: Tommy Doyle watches Carabao Cup debut
PLAYERS USED IN CARABAO CUP UNBEATEN RUN:
Oleks Zinchenko; Sergio Aguero; Kevin De Bruyne; Phil Foden; Brahim Diaz; Lukas Nmecha; Tom Dele-Bashiru
Nicolas Otamendi; David Silva; Vincent Kompany; Aro Muric; Riyad Mahrez; Adrian Bernabe; Claudio Gomes
Eric Garcia; Philippe Sandler; Ian Poveda; Benjamin Mendy; Felix Nmecha; Ederson; Aymeric Laporte
Angelino; Taylor Harwood-Bellis; Joao Cancelo; Tommy Doyle
RESULTS SINCE LAST DEFEAT IN 2016:
2017-18
Third Round: West Brom 1-2 City
Fourth Round: City 0-0 Wolves (won 4-1 on pens)
Quarter-final: Leicester 1-1 City (won 3-4 on pens)
Semi-final first leg: City 2-1 Bristol City
Semi-final second leg: Bristol City 2-3 City
Final: Arsenal 0-3 City
2018-19
Third Round: Oxford 0-3 City
Fourth Round: City 2-0 Fulham
Quarter-final: Leicester 1-1 City (won 1-3 on pens)
Semi-final first leg: City 9-0 Burton Albion
Semi-final second leg: Burton Albion 0-1 City
Final: Chelsea 0-0 City (3-4 on pens)
2019-20
Third Round: Preston 0-3 City
Fourth Round: City 3-1 Southampton
Fifth Round: Oxford 1-3 City
