The EFL Cup is down to the final eight after a fourth round of games that saw some huge names fell and new heroes unearthed. Of quarter-finalists, who has the best chance of lifting silverware?
Among the last 16 ties, Arsenal were dumped out by Fleetwood, Man City battled their way into the quarter finals with a hard-fought victory and Liverpool won a dramatic shootout against Chelsea.
Now, with the quarter finals set, leading sports site CryptoBets.com has ranked the remaining eight and the most likely to secure the first trophy of the season.
8th (Least Likely) – Bradford City
A trip to face Manchester City in December will be one to savour after Bradford City secured a 2-0 win over Peterborough in the last round. The League One outfit will know that they are hopelessly outmatched by City, but this will not stop them. An early goal would really put the cat amongst the pigeons, although backing them to make it through this tie is fanciful and makes them the rank outsiders in my book.
7th – Fleetwood Town
Arsenal’s conquerors and the side few will want to face, Fleetwood Town did the unthinkable in the fourth round and humiliated Arsenal on penalties. While it was a much-changed Arsenal side, some major international names started and some of the best the Gunners have on offer came off the bench to no avail.
Hosting Everton in the quarter finals will feel like an easier tie for Fleetwood in comparison to the last round. But lightning can’t strike twice can it?
6th – Sunderland
Sunderland got the better of Brentford in their all-Premier League clash in the last round, but they almost allowed a 3-0 lead to count for nothing. Heading towards the break 3-0 up saw Sunderland dreaming of a crushing win, but Callum Wilson’s goal in the 42nd minute changed the flow of the game. While Brentford had to wait until the 94th minute to make it 3-2, Sunderland were teetering when they conceded the second goal.
The Premier League season has not started off particularly well with the Black Cats in the relegation zone. A clash with Palace is one they can win, but can they afford to? Staying in the Premier League will likely be their target this term, and the distraction of a cup run along with the extra minutes it puts in the legs may be ill-advised. While they will of course look to win this match, one or two key players may be given time away from the pitch in a nod to the competition the side are prioritising.
5th – Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace edged Fulham in a game to forget in the fourth round. A grand total of four shots on target between the pair saw neither light up the goal mouth, while Palace themselves saw just a quarter of the ball across a game they won 1-0. Winning is all that matters in football with stats meaning nothing if a side cannot put the ball in the back of the net, but relying on scoring with one of two shots on target is not always viable.
Against Sunderland, this feels like a match in which neither side really needs the extra games added to their schedule. While both would be happy with a cup run, not being part of the EFL Cup as the league season heats up would be ideal. With Palace hosting this one they have the advantage, but if they are to draw any of the four sides ahead of them in this list in the next round, they will likely lose.
4th – Bournemouth
Bournemouth would be above Everton on this list had it not been for the draw. Everton face the potential banana-skin of Fleetwood, while Bournemouth face one of the best sides in the club game at present.
The Cherries were far too good for Aston Villa in the fourth round as they roared to a 3-0 win, but heading to Anfield to face Liverpool will be a much sterner test. The Cherries have the ability to beat the Reds, but putting this into action against a side that looks to be growing right now may not be enough.
If Bournemouth can get through this round, then no side will want to face them, and it would also see the Cherries brimming with confidence. However, form can be a fickle thing, and while they are in outstanding touch right now, will they be flying quite as high when the next round is played in December?
3rd – Everton
David Moyes guided his side past Newcastle in a 3-1 win that saw the Toffees score three times from five shots on target. Newcastle dominated the ball and more than doubled Everton’s 11 shots (26) and five shots on target (11), but they had to wait until the 88th minute for their consolation goal. Everton’s ability to keep the ball out of their own net was impressive as they edged into the quarter-final on the back of a battling win.
A clash with Fleetwood awaits. While Everton will know that the Premier League champions have already been felled by their opponents, this is still not a game the Toffees should lose.
2nd – Liverpool
It was not a vintage Liverpool vs Chelsea match in the fourth round as they struggled for fluency. Rotation tends to have that impact on a side, but that is not to say that the two clubs did not field strong XIs. With two penalties scored within three minutes of each other, it was a sure sign that this one was only going to be decided by spot kicks as Liverpool edged to a 6-5 shootout win.
Now, the Reds host Bournemouth in a tricky clash that will not allow Liverpool to take anything for granted. They are the second favourites according to the bookies, but being the favourites can often mean little, as shown by Arsenal’s elimination.
For the Reds, this will just be another game they know they should win. For many of the other sides left in the draw, they will hope to avoid the likes of City in the next round, but Liverpool will know that if they are going to secure the trophy, they will likely have to beat City at some point.
1st (Most Likely) – Manchester City
The favourites to win the EFL Cup this year come in the form of Manchester City. Enzo Maresca’s side managed to edge past Brighton in a clash that ended 2-2 before City went through 4-3 on penalties. It was not a vintage City display, but they made it through despite being without a number of starters.
Perhaps the biggest reason for them being the favourites comes in the form of a big Norwegian striker. Erling Haaland continues to score goals with alarming regularity, and this is not confined to the so-called smaller teams. Whoever he plays against, he is expected to score. If you have a player that backs himself to score at least once in every game, it sets you apart from many other teams.
While City have had their issues at the back, they are still the best side in the competition, and while they will give the opposition chances to score, they will always back themselves to outscore whoever they face.