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The English League Cup quarterfinals are upon us and the standout tie of the final round in 2018 is the meeting between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur in another edition of the North London Derby.
The EFL Cup is usually a competition that the top sides don't take too seriously until the latter stages, but this tournament gives both the Gunners and the Spurs an excellent opportunity for silverware in the new year. Two of England's best and most in-form sides go toe-to-toe in the North London Derby, and if their previous meeting is anything to go by, this will be a Christmas cracker of a game!
Previous matches
Southampton 3-2 Arsenal (Premier League)
Arsenal's longest unbeaten run in over a decade came to an end against Southampton as Ralph Hasenhüttl got his first win as Saints boss. The Gunners failed to convert their possession into anything of substance and went behind after 20 minutes thanks to Danny Ings heading in a perfect cross from Matt Targett.
Unai Emery's men responded well though, equalising before the half hour mark through Henrikh Mkhitaryan. The Armenian slammed the ball in through after a good cutback by Nacho Monreal.
Ings would strike once more before the break, sending Southampton into the dressing room 2-1 ahead after yet another header. Arsenal would equalise once more, though, with Mkhitaryan's shot taking a big deflection on its way into the net.
However, the Saints would defy the odds to end Arsenal's good run, with Shane Long crossing for Charlie Austin to score after Leno was left clutching thin air.
Tottenham 1-0 Burnley (Premier League)
Tottenham scraped past Burnley at Wembley in what was, in the end, a deserved win for Mauricio Pochettino's side. The Spurs remain third with the victory and continue to be the closest challengers to both Manchester City and Liverpool at the top of the Premier League.
Lucas Moura, Dele Alli and Heung-min Son all came close, and Harry Kane was denied what looked like a clear penalty, but the match remained scoreless for the most part. Joe Hart had a superb game in goal for the Clarets, the pick of the saves coming in the 90th minute from what seemed to be a certain goal by Erik Lamela.
That apeared to be the last chance, but Christian Eriksen, fresh from the bench, latched on to a Kane through ball to calmly finish into the net.
Predicted line-ups
Arsenal
Hector Bellarin is the latest injury concern for Arsenal as the Gunners' list of unavailables continues to grow. Sokratis, Danny Welbeck and Rob Holding are all definitely out, but Sead Kolasinac and Shkodran Mustafi could make a return to action. I don't believe Kolasinac will start, but Mustafi will likely be forced in, as Emery had to play Granit Xhaka there on Sunday to his detriment.
Petr Cech, Alexandre Lacazette, Mesut Ozil and Ainsley Maitland-Niles should all be handed chances to start too.
Tottenham
The Spurs are still without both Moussa Dembele and Victor Wanyama due to injury, but have a plethora of options now fit to fill in for the midfield pair. However, Eric Dier is not one of them, with appendix issues keeping him out.
Harry Winks and Moussa Sissoko could start in midfield, after the former was rested at the weekend. Ben Davies filled in at centre-back but should be replaced by Jan Vertonghen or a possibly fit Davinson Sanchez, although the Colombian may not be risked for this game.
Son and Eriksen both came off the bench on Saturday, but the pair should start on the wings on Wednesday.
The question of who will start in goal is a tricky one to answer. Michel Vorm usually plays cup games, but this is the latter stages of the competition and the North London Derby, so Hugo Lloris could be called upon as usual.
Key player: Harry Kane
If Lloris doesn't play, Harry Kane will probably captain on the night. And Tottenham's star striker will be looking to lead his side to redemption this Wednesday.
Kane is always the Spurs' main threat, being one of the best strikers in the world and the focal point of their attacks. If the Gunners' backline can keep the Englishman quiet, they'll have a good chance of progressing, but as we saw on Saturday, he's a handful even if he's only setting up his attacking counterparts like Eriksen and Son.
First silverware for the managers?
The League Cup used to be laughed off as a second rate trophy in English football, but it's a competition that even the top 6 Premier League sides are taking much more seriously these days. Tottenham haven't won any trophy since their 2008 League Cup victory, and while that is largely down to the Spurs having to punch far above their financial weight to attain this level of success, their fans are hungry for more silverware.
Arsenal, meanwhile, have a new manager in Unai Emery and have enjoyed a solid start to the season, which would be consolidated with a win in the final of the Carabao Cup. Neither side has a realistic chance of winning the Premier League this season, so this and the FA Cup give both the clubs a decent chance at attaining a trophy in 2019.
Prediction: Arsenal 2-1 Tottenham
Their previous meeting at the Emirates was a high-scoring thriller, with Arsenal running out 4-2 winners, and I believe they'll win this one as well. It'll be a tighter match, with both sides having figured each other out and playing slightly weaker players, but no less entertaining.
It might take a penalty shootout to decide this one, but I believe Arsenal will triumph, as they have the home advantage. Whoever wins this game will have a decent chance of winning the competition, but with Chelsea and Manchester City both likely progressing as well, it won't be easy.
They'll be hoping to draw the winner of the Burton Albion and Middlesbrough match, but time will tell who will face the non-Premier League side.
