Over the next two days the majority of Round Four of the Capital One Cup will be played. We are now at the stage of the competition where the winners will find themselves only two games from a final and potentially their first trophy of the season.
Only three non Premiership teams remain and all could be out after tonight, although all are at home, which could be key to them remaining in the competition. Here is the rundown, and of course, my score predictions for the matches.
All Kick off times are 7:45 BST/ 3:45pm ET:
Tuesday:
Arsenal v Chelsea
The battle of the London rivals will certainly be an interesting one. Arsenal have been going great in the League but will be without suspended Arteta and injured Flamini for the visit of the Blues. Wenger usually fields weaker sides in this competition and as such, has never won the trophy. That said, his side are in winning form and with Chelsea being the local and league rivals, and upcoming important games, I am not sure he would want to lose this one and upset the run they find themselves on.
For Chelsea it will be two games in two days when they face off tonight. Sunday they were gifted two points by a silly decision by Manchester City’s goalkeeper, Joe Hart, to come for a ball he had no reason to come for. As a result Torres now has another goal on his road to regaining the form we know he can have.
Prediction: 2-1
Birmingham v Stoke
League Cup winners of 2011 host the FA Cup runners up of the same year when the sides meet at St Andrews tonight. What a difference a couple of years make though with Birmingham now finding themselves 19th in the second tier of English football. This will be a welcome distraction for the Championship side who have had contrasting form in this competition compared to their League form. Nine goals in three games here compared to just the two in their last three league games.
Stoke Manager Mark Hughes has won this competition as a player for three different clubs but has yet to do it as a Manager. Recently as Manager of Manchester City he led them all the way to the Semi Finals but left before the games were played. The question for Hughes is whether to go all out for the win tonight or concentrate on getting the League form right. Certainly a win would give them confidence and that would be welcome and needed with the position they currently find themselves in.
Prediction: 2-2 (Stoke win)
Burnley v West Ham:
One Division but only six League positions separate these two teams. The weekend saw Burnley secure a deserved 2-0 win against the Leagues big spenders QPR to go top of the table. Meanwhile, in Premiership land, West Ham were wasteful against Swansea and only managed a scoreless tie.
When these teams have met before in Cup play Burnley have never finished as victorious, in fact their record is played five, lost five. However when you look at League clashes together then the hosts have only lost four from the 37 meetings with the Hammers on Burnley turf, and it helps that they are unbeaten on their own ground so far this season also.
Prediction: 2-0
Leicester v Fulham:
So the final non Premiership side, Leicester City, host Fulham and both sides seem to be in contrasting form. Leicester are the form team at home in the Championship so far this season and Fulham are chugging along to close to the relegation zone for Martin Jol’s liking.
That said Fulham are here partly because of a come from behind victory over a Roberto Martinez Everton side, which is not an easy thing to do. Sometimes form in one competition can improve your form in another and certainly Jol will be hoping success here will translate into an improvement in the League.
Prediction: 1-3
Man Utd v Norwich:
Manchester United are going through a difficult spell at the moment with their League position not really where you would expect to see a Manchester United side this far into the season. They have been lucky in certain ways that the situation isn’t worse with two goals in two minutes late in the game overturning a 2-1 losing score into a much needed victory. A few days earlier an early own goal was their winning goal in Champions League play so although all is not right at United, at least they are not sinking like a stone so if and when it does start clicking they may not be too far off the pace.
Certainly Norwich would swap positions right now and I a sure Hughton would swap with Moyes in a heartbeat. The Norwich Manager made several signings for the new season but as yet they haven’t really done anything to make anyone sit up and take note. Six goals in nine games is not good enough from Ricky Van and co but they can take heart that Norwich have never lost to United in the League Cup, two wins and a draw in fact.
Norwich did win the competition twice before, once in 1962 and the latest in 1985. That Final was against Sunderland with Norwich winning thanks to a Sunderland own goal and that marked the season both teams were relegated. Both teams are struggling in the League and both are still in the competition, could we mark the 29th anniversary with another winner getting relegated?
Prediction: 2-1
Wednesday:
Newcastle v Manchester City:
The Toon army will be looking for revenge against City for the opening day hammering they got at the Etihad. Both sides are coming off a 2-1 weekend defeat and both will be looking to get back on track with this meeting between the 1976 finalists.
Currently 11th in the League, Newcastle have been a real win one, lose one side. They lost Sunday, will they win tomorrow?
Manchester City were heading to the end of Sundays match away to Chelsea unlucky to just have the one point. They dominated the game to the extent that one point would be considered two points lost. Then Joe Hart had a rush of blood, came for a ball he had no reason to go for and Torres gave Chelsea all the points and left Pellegrini fuming.
Regardless if that result I thought Pantilimon would start tomorrow anyway and I think it has come for a good time for Pellegrini who will now be able to take a good look at Costel and decide if he should start Saturday against Norwich City.
Prediction: 1-3
Tottenham v Hull:
A few days after Tottenham hosted Hull in the League they host them in the Cup. Rotation is expected by AVB who publically criticized the home fans after Sundays win. How they react Wednesday will go a long way to determining what the result will be.
Steve Bruce will be looking to be as tough to break down as his side were in Sundays game and will have to keep his side switched on mentally in what is the first meeting between the sides in this competition.
It may have to go to extra time if Hull wish to progress as Tottenham have not lost in a League Cup tie in normal time since losing 3-1 to Birmingham in October 2000. A year later and Steve Bruce would take over as Manager of the Blues and stay for six years.
Prediction: 2-0
Wednesday 6th November:
Sunderland v Southampton:
The final game of Round Four will take place a week tomorrow and will see Sunderland host Southampton. Both sides have another League game before they meet and so Sunderland may have even improved their position some more.
Neither side have won the competition before but both have been beaten in the Final. 1985 for Sunderland as I already said in the Norwich preview, but six years earlier Southampton lost to Nottingham Forest.
Sunderland were relegated in the same season as their loss, Southampton were a good fifteen points safe in a time when a win only awarded two points.
Prediction: 2-0
