Manchester City dominated the League Cup during the early years of Pep Guardiola's reign, lifting the trophy in four of his first five seasons in charge.

Remarkably, City won 21 consecutive ties in the competition between 2017 and 2021 (with two-legged semi-finals counted as a single 'tie'). But it has been a different story since then, with Guardiola's team losing four of their subsequent seven EFL Cup games.

But the City manager said 12 months ago he didn't intend to "waste energy" in the competition and would instead field his "second team", vowing to prioritise the Premier League and Champions League.

With City having taken part in this summer's Club World Cup and the expanded Champions League format also meaning more matches, Guardiola will be acutely aware of the need to manage the minutes played by his squad and reduce the risk of late-season burnout.

Bukayo Saka made his Arsenal return in the 1-1 draw with Man City last Sunday and could be in line for some more minutes tonight as he looks to return to full fitness.

Arteta said: "He needs minutes and he's demanding that as well. Obviously, when he's been out for a while, you just need to get in there. You need to get that confidence on the pitch and repeat actions and exposure. And we will do that, obviously, gradually, because he's been out for a while."

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So we now know that Arsenal's 15-year-old Max Dowman is on the bench this evening.

The talented teenager has already appeared in the Premier League this season after nutmegging his team-mates in training.

When asked how the senior players responded to this, Mikel Arteta said: "At the beginning, they responded immediately, kick him! That was the first one. And Max, to be fair, he was excellent.

"He stood up and got into the next one. And now everybody loves him. You just want to hug him, help him. He's such a nice boy as well, and he's very much liked by everybody here."

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There's four changes for Port Vale with striker Devante Cole among the substitutes.

Port Vale XI: Gauci, Headley, Hall, Gabriel, Curtis, Walters, Paton, Croasdale, Debrah, Humphreys, Hall

Subs: Marosi, Clark, Heneghan, Byers, Garrity, Stockley, Ojo, Faal, Cole

There's nine changes for Arsenal with Kepa Arrizabalaga and Christian Norgaard making their first starts for the Gunners.

Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze and Gabriel Martinelli are also in the first XI.

Arsenal XI: Kepa, White, Saliba, Mosquera, Lewis-Skelly, Norgaard, Merino, Nwaneri, Saka, Martinelli, Eze

Subs: Raya, Gabriel, Timber, Gyokeres, Trossard, Zubimendi, Calafiori, Rice, Dowman

Ciaran Kelly
BBC Sport reporter at St James' Park

1956. That was the last time Newcastle United began the defence of a major domestic trophy as holders.

The Carabao Cup winners certainly do not want to go quite so long without lifting silverware again after ending a 70-year drought last season.

And the visit of League One leaders Bradford City to St James' Park is a timely test of a side who are still yet to click in the final third.

Though Eddie Howe has made seven changes from the weekend, Sven Botman, Malick Thiaw, Lewis Hall, Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton, Anthony Elanga and Anthony Gordon are among those named in a strong side while goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale has been handed his debut for the club.

Newcastle are clearly not underestimating in-form Bradford.

“We know how dangerous they will be and we will need to be at our very best to handle the threat they will pose,” Howe writes of Bradford in his pre-match programme notes.

Holders Newcastle get their title defence under way this evening against Bradford.

They beat Liverpool to the trophy last season and will look to replicate that success this time around.

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BBC Radio 5 Live

We've got live radio commentary across the BBC this evening.

On BBC Radio 5 Live, we've got commentary of Huddersfield against Manchester City while Port Vale's match against Arsenal will be on Radio 5 Sports Extra 2. And Tottenham v Doncaster Rovers is like on Radio Sports Extra 3.

You can listen to all of those at the top of this page.

Pedro Porro, Rodrigo Bentancur, Palhinha and Wilson Odobert are the only players to retain a starting role for Tottenham following Saturday's 2-2 draw at Brighton.

Goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky makes his first start of the season with Kevin Danso, Xavi Simons, Mathys Tel, Archie Gray, Brennan Johnson and Djed Spence also coming in.

Tottenham XI: Kinsky, Danso, Porro, Spence, Gray, Bentancur, Palhinha, Simons, Odobert, Tel, Johnson.

Subs: Austin, Richarlison, Udogie, Bergvall, Van de Ven, Scarlett, Thompson, Byfield, Williams-Barnett.

League One Doncaster have already pulled off an upset in this season's Carabao Cup - beating Championship side Middlesbrough - and boss Grant McCann makes nine changes after losing against AFC Wimbledon on Saturday.

Centre-back Jay McGrath and midfielder Owen Bailey are the only two to hold on to their starting berth.

Damola Ajayi is on loan from Tottenham but has been given permission to feature against his parent club.

Doncaster XI: Lawlor, Bailey, McGrath, Sbarra, Nixon, Middleton, Ajayi, Senior Grehan, Olusanya, Close.

Subs: Lo-Tutala, Maxwell, Molyneux, Hanlan, Gibson, O'Riordan, Crew, Gotts, Westbrooke.

Lee Grant has made seven changes to the Huddersfield side who drew 0-0 with Burton on Saturday.

Zepiqueno Redmond makes his first start for the Terriers.

Huddersfield XI: Nicholls, Sorensen, Wallace, Wiles, Harness, Charles, Kasumu, Feeney, Roughan, Redmond, Vost

Subs: Goodman, Ledson, Low, Taylor, Castledine, Radulovic, May, Ashia, Sway

Pep Guardiola has named a strong Manchester City side to take on League One Huddersfield.

James Trafford has been recalled to the starting XI in place of Gianluigi Donnarumma and Phil Foden keeps his place in the side.

Manchester City XI: Trafford, Nunes, Stones, Ake, O’Reilly, Lewis, Nico, Bobb, Mukasa, Foden, Savinho

Subs: Donnarumma, Dias, Reijnders, Bernardo, Phillips, Braithwaite, J. Heskey, Mfuni, R. Heskey

Ciaran Kelly
BBC Sport reporter at St James' Park

Newcastle United have made seven changes as the holders begin their defence of the Carabao Cup against Bradford City at St James’ Park.

Aaron Ramsdale makes his debut while Emil Krafth, Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton, Anthony Gordon, Anthony Elanga and William Osula also come into the side.

Newcastle starting line-up: Ramsdale, Krafth, Thiaw, Botman, Hall, Guimaraes, Miley, Joelinton, Elanga, Osula, Gordon

Subs: Pope, Trippier, Livramento, A Murphy, Lascelles, Tonali, Willock, Barnes, Woltemade

Bradford manager Graham Alexander has made five changes.

Brad Halliday, Neil Byrne, Stephen Humphrys, Ciaran Kelly and Nick Powell replace Aden Baldwin, Josh Neufville, Tyreik Wright, Will Swan and Antoni Sarcevic.

Bradford starting line-up: Walker, Halliday, Touray, Byrne, Power, Humphrys, Kelly, Leigh, Powell, Pointon, Pennington

Subs: Hilton, J Wright, Neufville, Cook, Sarcevic, McIntyre, T. Wright, Metcalfe, Lapslie

Let's get straight into some team news...

Twelve teams have already booked their place in round four with four more joining them this evening. Here's what's happened so far in the EFL Cup:

• Barnsley 0-6 Brighton
• Burnley 1-2 Cardiff City
• Fulham 1-0 Cambridge United
• Lincoln City 1-2 Chelsea
• Wigan 0-2 Wycombe Wanderers
• Wolves 2-0 Everton
• Wrexham 2-0 Reading
• Liverpool 2-1 Southampton
• Swansea City 3-2 Nottingham Forest
• Sheffield Wednesday 0-1 Grimsby Town
• Brentford 1-1 (4-2, pens) Aston Villa
• Crystal Palace 1-1 (4-2, pens) Milwall

Another full evening of EFL Cup action. Here's what's coming up:

• Huddersfield Town v Manchester City
• Newcastle United v Bradford City
• Tottenham Hotspur v Doncaster Rovers
• Port Vale v Arsenal (20:00 BST)

Twelve teams have already booked their place in the EFL Cup fourth round. Four more will join them as the third round concludes this evening.

Let's find out who will complete our fourth-round line up.

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