After another cracking weekend of Premier League action it is time for the EFL Cup to get back underway. We’re just one round away from the quarter finals which means that all the teams still in the tournament are starting to think about going all the way to Wembley. We’ve picked through the eight matches to bring you three accas of increasing odds.
Easy Winner – evens (BetVictor)
- Arsenal to beat Reading (1/4) – Arsenal are on a wonderful run of form at the moment. The Gunners should take another step towards EFL Cup glory by beating Reading at the Emirates.
- Under 3.5 goals in Liverpool v Tottenham (2/5) – Liverpool and Tottenham have been two of the most impressive teams in England over the past couple of months. They’ll have a lot of respect for each other which could manifest itself in a tight, low scoring encounter.
- Newcastle/draw double chance against Preston (2/15) – Newcastle would love the chance to test themselves against a Premier League club but they’ll be happy enough to progress against Preston, who aren’t exactly flying in the Championship.
Medium Risk – 10/1 (Sky Bet)
- Arsenal to beat Reading to nil (6/5) – Arsenal and Reading were involved in one of the best League Cup matches of all time when the Gunners came back from 4-0 down to win in extra time. This one should be nowhere near as exciting given the Gunners’ strength in depth.
- Leeds to beat Norwich (7/4) – After a shaky start, Garry Monk has turned things around at Leeds. There is still a lot of work to do but Leeds look solid at the back and dangerous going forwards. Leeds can prove their quality against Norwich but only if they play to their highest levels.
- Man Utd to qualify against Man City (5/6) – City have not been anywhere near their best of late. United can take full advantage by qualifying for the EFL Cup quarter final at their neighbours’ expense.
Long Shot – 129/1 (Bet365)
- Liverpool and Tottenham to draw 1-1 (11/2) – Liverpool drew 1-1 when they took Spurs on at White Hart Lane and it would be no surprise to see the same scoreline when they meet at Anfield on Tuesday. This should be a close game which could require extra time to separate two of the favourites to go on and win the competition outright.
- Man Utd to score in both halves against Man City (3/1) – Pep Guardiola has some serious work on his hands to tighten up his Man City side’s defence. At the moment they’ve certainly got a mistake or two in them which is not good news when you’re playing away in a derby game.
- Hull to beat Bristol City and both teams to score (4/1) – Hull need to take their chances to win whenever they come which means making the most of their game against Bristol City of the Championship. Hull’s defending is so poor that they cannot bank on a clean sheet but they should have the firepower to secure the win.