City face the Hammers at London Stadium on Friday night, live on BBC One.

"The cup is special because the lower team can beat the big teams, which is why it is fascinating," said Guardiola.

"I'm looking forward to it, but of course it's a Premier League game so it will be tough. We were unlucky in the draw."

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic said the tie is a "big game" for both sides and the fans.

"They will put out a very strong team because it is a big chance for them to get a trophy," he added.

The game at London Stadium is the first of 32 third-round ties across four days this weekend.

BBC One also has live coverage of Tottenham v Aston Villa on Sunday (16:00 GMT) while 5 live Sport's Mark Chapman presents Saturday's show from Sutton United ahead of their tie with AFC Wimbledon.