Carling Cup – Quarter-finals – Titans clash in cup
By David, BettingExpert.com | Edited
One shot. No home and away games here so it is clear that Chelsea and Arsenal should be considered favourites when they host Liverpool and Manchester City respectively. Will managers take the League Cup seriously as the feared Christmas schedule looms for Premier League clubs well aware of the fierce competition in the league this season?
Chelsea – Liverpool
Chelsea gained ground over the Reds in the league after the latter were held at Anfield against Mancini’s team and Villas Boas got some respite by winning comfortable on Saturday against Wolves.
The Blues’ game was fairly easy and they had sealed the result already within the first half. Liverpool had to struggle more but they were the most brilliant side against an in-form City leading the pack. It was never going to be easy but fatigue seemed to catch up with the visitors, suffering more than expected Liverpool’s fast flowing football in attack. The clash at Stamford Bridge from almost a week ago must come to mind here. It looked like a well balanced encounter which Chelsea finally gave away due to a display well below what is expected of them.
That defeat had a lot in common with the one from two weeks before when they conceded a 3-5 home defeat to London rivals Arsenal. Even there it looked like a standstill with the teams canceling each other out. A reply for every goal. Ultimately it was always Chelsea which let go first, betraying a defensive setup that is far from well geared.
With terry suspended it is yet unclear whether this will be a positive thing for Villas Boas here. The captain has not been performing well this season, slipping up in crucial moments and being the protagonist of embarrassing episodes for the Blues, both on and off the pitch.
Verdict: Liverpool 0:0
Both teams are preparing for tricky away games against Newcastle and Fulham but for Villas Boas there will be more thoughts his mind will be going to as the decider with Valencia gathers momentum. That can be what decides his future at Stamford Bridge. Liverpool’s good records against Chelsea can keep strengthening themselves here.
Arsenal – Manchester City
Like Chelsea, another Champions League-bound English team will have to wait for the final match to know its fate. Manchester City, unlike Chelsea, will be depending on what Villareal do when they host Napoli though. It is a difficult position for Mancini and his club’s future in Europe so this may be a chance to keep tabs on some silverware this season. The memory of the triumph in the FA Cup last season is something they will not want to pass on this time, hoping for a double like those for which their cousins have come to be known.
The Gunners will stand in their way. Or will they? Wenger has declared that some of his star players are in dire need of a rest and the list includes man-of-the-moment Robin van Persie. He has been grabbing most of the goals for Arsenal on their run of ten games unbeaten in all competitions. They are now through to the next round in the Champions League and have locked their sights on their target fourth place in the league. Wenger will certainly not think twice about giving faith to some youngsters once again in the cup, although he has admitted that with City enjoying a huge roster and great quality in depth he will need to look into including some experienced players in the line-up as well. From now until the end of January his sole focus will be working their way back up the table until the Champions League restarts.
For Mancini there are less certainties after the last two results which have left his team’s Champions League chances hanging by a thread and allowed the rest to see they are actually vulnerable. Of all the games they have in close proximity this is the least important. Mancini will be giving a rest to his regulars and try out some of the youngsters who performed so well at the Molineux a month ago – Scapuzzi, Savic, Razak and Rekik. There will also be chances to players who played less frequently of late though so Dzeko, Johnson, De Jong, Kolo Toure, Bridge and Onuoha should feature as well.
Verdict: X
For both teams this cup fixture comes at a time when the managers are thinking of giving a rest to exhausted players. City’s second string should be strong but home advantage and Wenger’s admission that he will not be playing just youngsters here gives an edge to the Gunners. I still think it will be a slight advantage though and with both equaling each other I think a draw should be on the cards.
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01.12.2011, 00:17 CET
Good call David, Liverpool certainly made you look good in this occasion. Now to the draw, Cardiff City, Crystal Palace and also manchester city!!!