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The third round of the Carabao Cup is upon us, promising to give us a taste of knockout football early in the season. The Carabao Cup, also known as the EFL Cup or the League Cup, is not as generous or respected as the FA Cup, Premier League, or UEFA Champions League. But that does not mean the Carabao Cup has no knack for producing high-stakes, nail-biting encounters.
This week, all the big Premier League clubs are entering the competition, which automatically brings more excitement and drama.
Today, we will analyze the upcoming round-three Carabao Cup fixtures and give you our top-five predictions for the week. Now, without further ado, let us get to it.
#5 Sheffield United and Southampton to be locked in an unpredictable tussle
Sheffield United and Southampton famously went up against one another in the 2014 Carabao Cup quarter-finals. Against all odds, Sheffield United got the better of the Saints, booking their place in the semi-finals.
This year, the EFL Championship side have registered two consecutive wins in the last two rounds of the Carabao Cup and look set for another. Southampton, meanwhile, are still without a win in the Premier League. But they thrashed Newport County 8-0 in the last round of the Cup. They will look to bag another important win tonight.
Packed with unpredictability and sky-high stakes, Southampton’s trip to Sheffield seems destined to be memorable.
#4 Tottenham Hotspur to have a tough time at Wolverhampton
A couple of gameweeks back, Tottenham Hotspur were flying high in the Premier League. They had a 100 percent win record, which included a victory over Manchester City, and were playing an impressive brand of football. Now, without a win in their last three games across all competitions, last year’s Carabao Cup finalists are looking for some inspiration.
The seventh-placed side in the Premier League are making the tricky trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Tuesday. Generally, 15th-placed Wolves should not pose a threat to Spurs, but given the north London team’s recent run, an upset cannot be discarded.
Considering Tottenham will be in Premier League action against Arsenal on Sunday, they are likely to rest some of their key players. Wolves could look to make the most of the opportunity by fielding a considerably stronger team.
The two sides met in the Premier League in August, which saw Spurs clinch a narrow 1-0 win. This time, Wolves will do everything in their power to turn the previous scoreline in their favor.
#3 Chelsea and Liverpool to register routine wins
The Carabao Cup round three will pit Chelsea and Liverpool against Aston Villa and Norwich City, respectively. Both Premier League giants picked up comfortable wins in their last league outings, registering identical 3-0 scorelines.
Liverpool’s 3-0 win over Crystal Palace was thoroughly convincing, as the Reds’ regular stars fired on all cylinders. The Merseyside giants are likely to rest their first-choice XI in the Carabao Cup tie against Norwich, which should encourage the hosts to be more offensive. Liverpool's last meeting with Norwich City in the Premier League ended 3-0 in favor of Jurgen Klopp's side in August.
Chelsea have also played their upcoming Carabao Cup rivals Aston Villa in the Premier League this season. On matchday four, the Blues registered a convincing 3-0 win over Villa and will look to carry their form over to the EFL Cup.
Since both Chelsea and Liverpool are likely to give their reserve-bench players a shot, their fixtures could be a lot less one-sided. Still, despite the probability of a couple of scares, we expect Chelsea and Liverpool to progress to the fourth round without much difficulty.
#2 Second-string Manchester United side to struggle against West Ham United
Buoyed by goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Jesse Lingard, Manchester United secured a hard-fought 2-1 win at West Ham in the Premier League on Sunday. Despite being considerably stronger on paper, United failed to assert their superiority, needing David de Gea to save a 95th-minute penalty to get maximum points.
United will play West Ham at Old Trafford in their upcoming Carabao Cup tie, but could find it difficult to do the double over them. Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, Paul Pogba and De Gea could be rested for the Cup game, while West Ham’s Michail Antonio could return from suspension.
West Ham will be hungry to set the record straight, and having Antonio, who has scored four goals in four Premier League matches this season, will boost their morale. A mouthwatering encounter awaits.
#1 Carabao Cup champions Manchester City to return to winning ways
Defending champions Manchester City have not had the best of starts to their domestic campaign. They have already dropped five points in the Premier League and are having a hard time finding the winning formula. Yes, they recorded two consecutive 5-0 wins over Norwich City and Arsenal, but their goalless draw with Southampton was uncharacteristic, to say the least.
In their Carabao Cup tie against League One outfit Wycombe Wanderers, City are likely to give their youngsters a chance, which should make proceedings exciting. Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, Josh Wilson-Esbrand and Luke Mbete are set to feature, giving City fans a glimpse of their future.
The Citizens have one of the most promising academies and the deepest bench in England, which should help them brush Wycombe aside on Tuesday.
