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Man City, Liverpool See Odds Shorten to +160 and +450 to Win Carabao Cup After Third Round

John Dillon

by John Dillon in Soccer News

Updated Apr 14, 2020 · 8:32 AM PDT

Ilkay Gudogan receives the ball for Mancyester City against Preston North End
Ilkay Gundogan of Manchester City (right) helped guide his team into the Fourth Round of the Carabao Cup with a 3-0 defeat of Preston North End and they remain favorites to win the competition. Photo from @Manchester City Official(Twitter)
  • Helpful draw pits Pep Guardiola’s major rivals against each other
  • Liverpool to face Arsenal while Chelsea take on Manchester United
  • Klopp still seeking first domestic trophy at Anfield

Manchester City are on course towards another Carabao Cup final in England but the prize may be more attractive to Liverpool.

Jurgen Klopp, the Liverpool coach, has yet to win a domestic trophy in four years at Anfield despite lifting the Champions League in Europe last season.

Pep Guardiola’s City team remain favorites for the Carabao prize – also known as the EFL Cup – with odds which have shortened to +160 after the Third Round matches.

Carabao Cup Winner 2019-20 Odds

Team Odds
Manchester City +160
Liverpool +450
Chelsea +700
Leicester City +800
Everton +1200
Manchester United +1200
Arsenal +1400
Wolverhampton Wanderers +1800
Watford +2800
Aston Villa +3300
Southampton +4000
Sunderland +15,000
Burton Albion +50,000
Colchester United +75,000
Crawley Town +75,000
Oxford United +75,000

*Odds taken at 2019/09/26

Their chances have been boosted by the fact that Liverpool have been drawn to play Arsenal in the next round while Manchester United will face Chelsea.

This will eliminate two of Guardiola’s major rivals in the competition.

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But at +450, Liverpool offers the best value opportunity, with their odds moving in from +800 before the tournament began.

Relentless Winning Form

Their domestic form was at a 100-percent level after six straight wins in the EPL and a 2-0 defeat of Milton Keynes Dons in the Carabao Cup Third Round.

Meanwhile, Tottenham have already been eliminated after a shock defeat by League Two Club Colchester United this week.

The Fourth Round – last 16 – matches will be played in the week of Tuesday, October 29 with City drawn at home against Southampton.

They are currently holders of a Treble unique in the history of English football – with the Premier League title, the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup all won last season. They were earlier priced at +400 to win the Carabao Cup.

After winning the EFL Cup four times in the previous six seasons, City may privately feel they now have bigger fish to fry, with the Champions League surely their major priority.

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Any domestic prize would be welcomed by Klopp, even though Liverpool are currently leading in the biggest home competition, the Premier League.

The closest he has come to winning a home cup competition was when Liverpool were beaten on penalties in the 2016 EFL Cup final by Manchester City.

Dominant in Early Running in EPL

Liverpool and City are both currently unbeaten in the EPL while some of their long-standing major rivals struggle.

So rival big clubs such as Chelsea and Manchester United will certainly see the Carabao Cup as offering a chance of success in a season in which it already appears they will be unable to challenge the leading pair in the league.

Newly-improved Leicester City are enjoying an encouraging early-season spell and are third in the EPL. At +800, they offer seriously interesting value in this cup competition just now.

Everton have been erratic but are priced at +1200 with a Fourth Round tie against struggling Watford looming.

Chelsea’s new coach, Frank Lampard, would welcome any domestic silverware and they are a decent value price at +700.

Arsenal are a good price at +1400 as manager Unai Emery seeks his first prize in English football in his second season at the club – although their trip to Anfield will be a daunting one.

Chelsea’s new coach, Frank Lampard, would welcome any domestic silverware and they are a decent value price as third favorites at +700.

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But they were beaten 4-0 at Old Trafford on the opening day of the season in the EPL.

They will be at home against United in the cup tie, however. And Lampard knows the value of winning this competition as a spur to success on more important fronts.

Winner Twice With Mourinho

This was a philosophy ingrained in him when Jose Mourinho was in charge at Chelsea. Together, they won it twice.

At the same time, Manchester United coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is coming under pressure after his team’s stuttering start in the EPL.

A triumph in the first prize decided each season might ease some of the criticism – with the final at Wembley on March 1.

The big clubs and the middle-ranked outfits tend to play under-strength teams in the Carabao Cup, reflecting its status as the “junior partner” to the FA Cup.

Burton Albion of League One beat EPL side Bournemouth 2-0 and are priced at +50000 to win the cup.

It still offers the opportunity for some typical English cup romance, however.

Burton Albion of League One beat EPL side Bournemouth 2-0 and are priced at +50000 to win the cup. Worth a small interest bet? They now play Leicester in the Fourth Round.

Fellow League One side Oxford United thrashed West Ham of the EPL 4-0 and are priced at +75000. They now face Sunderland

Colchester are the same price after their defeat of Tottenham and take on Crawley Town, who are also at +75000 after their defeat of Championship club Stoke City.

Pick: Liverpool +450

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