Today and Wednesday sees the big boys join the League Cup competition, which is already at Round Three. Swansea were last years winners and as such have embarked on their European adventure this term. This is not a high priority for the some of the top clubs with Champions League, the Premiership and even the FA Cup taking priority over this competition. That said it is still a trophy and it is a back door into next seasons Europa League competition. It also allows some of the bigger sides to get competitive games under the belts of their fringe players and promising youngsters. With that in mind here is the run down of the games today and tomorrow.
Tuesday: (All times 7:45 BST/2:45 ET unless stated)
Aston Villa v Spurs:
The two Premiership sides meet and Paul Lambert will be looking at this game one of two ways. Either he will see it as an unwanted distraction for what will be a long season for his Villa side, or he will see it as a chance to stop the rot of previous results and, along with Saturdays win against Norwich, a chance to build the confidence of his side.
Benteke will be out for the game due to injury along with doubts over a number of others. That said AVB will look to rotate their side after coming off a tough game against Cardiff on Sunday and a European adventure a few days before. One eye certainly has to be on the slightly more important game against Chelsea at White Hart Lane Saturday lunch time.
Between these two sides the League Cup has been lifted nine times with Spurs the most recent winners of the two lifting it in 2008 and 1999 after Villa raised it themselves twice in three seasons from 1994-96.
Burnley v Nottingham Forest:
Both sides are currently in the top six of the Championship with designs on promotion this season. Burnley certainly have the upper hand against Nottingham Forest in recent history but those older fans among us will still remember the dominant Forest side of the 1970’s. From 1978 to 1990 Forest won this trophy four times. The top division was won, two European Cups and a UEFA Super Cup.
They are a long way from those days but the signs of a recovery are there, albeit in the early stages, if they can keep a Manager for a decent amount of time. American fans will hope to see Eric Lichaj take the pitch for Forest whether today or more permanently in the Premier League next year.
Again, depending on the teams aspirations for the season, progression in this competition could be an unwanted distraction or a fantastic opportunity.
Hull v Huddersfield:
The closest either one of these two sides have ever got to the Final of this competition would actually be Huddersfield and that was back in 1968. Huddersfield are currently 9th in the Championship table and with only 12pts from the opening 8 games are already five points behind the automatic positions.
The hosts are 18 places above the visitors and may look to this competition as a chance to rotate his side and a little chance to relax a little. Certainly both Managers Steve Bruce (Hull) and Mark Robins (Huddersfield) have shared some playing days together with both playing for Norwich City and Manchester United. It was at United in 1992 both were on the books when this trophy was held aloft by Bruce. Robins was actually left out of the match day squad but did lift it himself after a move to Leicester.
Leicester City v Derby:
As I just said Mark Robins got his hands on this trophy while at Leicester in 1997, beating Middlesbrough 1-0 in the Final. American keeper Kasey Keller was in goal for Leicester that day and kept a clean sheet against a Boro side boasting names such as Ravanelli, Juninho and Emerson. Three years later they beat Tranmere 2-1 which was the last time they won the cup and made it the third time the Cup was taken back to Leicester.
1964 was the first when the Final was played over two legs and Leicester had a Mr Gordon Banks in between the sticks. Leicester eventually won 4-3 over the two legs and all told they are the 7th most successful side in this competitions history.
Derby have never won this competition and odds are it will not change today. For them and Manager Nigel Clough, promotion has to be the number one priority.
Manchester City v Wigan Athletic:
A rematch of last seasons FA Cup Final and how things have changed for both sides since that Final almost 140 days ago. Both have changed Managers and both are in Europe but Wigan find themselves in the Championship and just a little off the pace, although they do have a game in hand.
Pellegrini will rotate his squad from the one that dominated rivals United on Sunday and may not be in a hurry to add to City’s total of two wins in this competition.
1970 City won it for the first time in a run of their history which netted the League, FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup from 1968-1970. Doyle and Pardoe goals sealed the 2-1 win that day against West Brom. Six years later the same score line, this time against Newcastle, secured their second and last success in this competition. A fantastic overhead kick from Dennis Tueart gave City the win that day.
For Wigan this fixture has come in a congested list which has Owen Coyle complaining. They last played Sunday, but so did City the only difference is the players available. That said I still expect Wigan to make things tough for City.
Southampton v Bristol City:
Neither one of these sides have won the competition before and that surprises me especially with Southampton, who were ever present in the top league for most of the 1980‘s and 1990‘s. They did make it to a Final, back in 1979, but were beaten 3-2 by Nottingham Forest. That after leading 1-0 at the half.
Pochettino will most likely rotate his team from the one that beat Liverpool on Saturday and so will the opposing manager O’Driscoll but for different reasons. Bristol City are winless and in the relegation zone in League One, the third tier of English football which puts them 57 places below their hosts.
A cup run should not be on Bristol City minds but more addressing their current league position. Cash strapped and winless they have more important games ahead than this particular one, although they should enjoy their outing at a Premiership ground.
Sunderland v Peterborough:
I think Peterborough would have looked at Saturdays game encouraged as to how easy West Brom turned over their next opponents. Then Sunday evening they would have had less of a smile with the dismissal of Paulo DiCanio. It was clear the players had lost confidence in their manager and had he still have been in charge for todays game you have to think the longer Peterborough could hold on the more frustrated the fans would get.
Now they have taken this action they have removed what is believed to have been the bump in Sunderland’s road and Kevin Ball will look to get fans instantly back onside with a convincing win. If that does happen I hope it will not affect Peterborough’s season, with Posh currently second in League One.
Will Altidore start and can he score? Sunderland may have fired their manager but for me a question still remains with the club. Many players were brought in over the summer and no matter who is in the dugout it is a lot of egos, opinions and playing styles needing to gel.
Best advice I can give to Peterbro would be to enjoy playing on a Premiership pitch against a Premiership side. Enjoy the day, the experience and then return to a league mentality in time for the weekend game.
Swindon v Chelsea:
Swindon have actually won this trophy in 1969 and they beat Arsenal 3-1 (after extra time) to do it. Chelsea have won it four times, the first four years before Swindon’s win, beating Leicester 3-2. The other three have all come in a nine year span from 1998 through to 2007 beating Middlesbro, Liverpool and Arsenal.
For Swindon boss Mark Cooper, to rub shoulders with Jose Mourinho and pit his wits against the ‘Special One’ will be the highlight of his career to date. Again, the players and Manager should enjoy the night in front of their own fans but realistically Chelsea will have to have a real off night and Swindon need to play out of their skins to make this anything but the end of the road for ‘The Robins’.
Watford v Norwich:
Gianfranco Zola will really be thinking his Watford side can get a Premiership scalp Tuesday night and who would bet against him on current form. Unbeaten at Vicarage Road so far this season the little Italian has guided his club to a play off place although there is a lot of the season still to go.
For Norwich, they will be without Bassong and Van Wolfswinkel but may see Hooper start for the first time. Certainly Chris Hughton will be looking for a win after watching his side slip to a 1-0 defeat to Villa at the weekend, missing a penalty in the process.
City have history in this competition with their first win against Rochdale in 1962 and then against Sunderland in 1985. It was the 1985 Final in which an own goal from Gordon Chisholm sealed the win on 24th March 1985. Both sides in that Final were relegated at the end of the season and usually the winners would go into Europe but at this point English clubs were banned from European football competitions.
Hughton certainly needs something to show the fans or he may soon be behind DiCanio in the unemployment line. A bad start, after spending a lot of money, is not set to become any easier by the fixtures up ahead.
West Ham v Cardiff:
Two Premier League sides meet and yet neither one have ever won this competition. Both managers will rotate their squads and both will be looking to get through this game with the least amount of fuss or stress on their playing squad. Both are on the same amount of points for the season so far and both are in for a long, tough season.
As a result I think it will not be a case of who wants to win most going through but more a case of who wants to lose least!
West Ham did get to a Final but unlike stated on a well known website didn’t actually lift the trophy. Yes they did win 2-1 against West Brom but that was only the first leg in a two legged final. West Brom won the second leg 4-1, giving WBA the 5-3 win.
Fulham v Everton (Kick Off 8pm BST/3pm ET):
Another two Premiership sides and yet again another two sides never to win the competition. Both Managers again will be looking to rotate but Martin Jol may look to get match minutes into the legs of returning injured players, especially Berbatov.
Everton have lost out in the Final of this competition twice before, the last time coming in 1984. That was against Liverpool and ended 1-0 in a replay at Maine Road, Manchester after an initial 0-0 draw at Wembley. It was almost déjà vu with the Toffees side losing after a second replay against Villa in 1977, again losing in Manchester. The second replay was staged at Old Trafford this time around.
Wednesday (Kick Off 7:45 BST/2:45 ET unless stated):
Birmingham v Swansea City:
Here we see the winners of the last two League Cups facing off against each other. Swansea won it for the first time last season, beating Bradford 5-0 in the Final. A year before, a Van Persie equalizer was wiped out with a minute to go by the now Seattle Sounders striker Obafemi Martins.
That was the second time the Blues lifted the trophy with the first coming back in 1963 and a win against local rivals Aston Villa.
Things have changed for Birmingham though with relegation and the subsequent struggle in the Championship. Currently 18th, promotion is looking a long shot even at this early stage and as such I see the current champions progressing.
Manchester United v Liverpool:
Both sides combined have won this trophy twelve times and both head into the game after losing the games at the weekend. Liverpool are the most successful side in this competition with a total of eight wins, Manchester United have half of that success with four trophies.
Moyes will be feeling the pressure going into Wednesdays game after the poor performance against local rivals Manchester City on Sunday. 7pts from the opening 5 games is simply not good enough and a cup defeat against, who Rooney claims, are their biggest rivals will not go down well.
For Liverpool, Rodgers can welcome back Suarez, who has served his multiple match ban. A welcome inclusion for a team who looked poor up front Saturday. Whether he will throw him straight in, potentially against Evra who he had issues with a few seasons ago, remains to be seen. He does need match fitness after a long layoff and this is certainly a game calling out for a Suarez.
Newcastle v Leeds:
Alan Pardew will be looking for a good response from his Newcastle side in this game against Leeds on Wednesday. Leeds who won this competition back in 1968 after beating Arsenal 1-0 will be looking to get their season back on track. Four defeats from the last four is not the kind of form Leeds boss McDermott will be happy with.
Newcastle, up until Saturday, had been on a good run and undefeated in all competitions since the opening day defeat against Manchester City.
Tranmere v Stoke:
Defeated by Leicester in the 2000 running of this competition Tranmere are currently bobbing along the wrong end of the third tier of English football. Fifty four places above are the Mark Hughes new look Stoke City side. 7pts from the opening 5 games is not a too shabby return for the Potters who may be in line for a run similar to the one just over 40 years ago which saw them beat Chelsea in the Final and lift the trophy for the first and currently only time.
Rotating the side I still think the Premiership side have more than enough to beat their hosts and I am sure Tranmere themselves will be focused elsewhere for goals to make their season successful.
West Brom v Arsenal (8pm BST/ 3pm ET):
West Brom have only lifted this trophy one less time than their opposition in the history of the competition. Over two legs and only months before England’s lone World Cup win Brom beat Ham in the battle of the ‘Wests’.
Wenger, not a fan of trophies, has never won this competition with the Gunners last win of this Cup back in 1993 when George Graham was in charge. In fact American John Harkes opened the scoring for Sheffield Wednesday before Merson and Morrow overturned that deficit. Funnily enough my memory of this game was the broken arm of Steve Morrow, the winning goal scorer, not during the game but in the celebrations afterwards! Six years before, and under the same Manager, two Charlie Nicholas goals again turned around a 1-0 deficit.
Arsenal are currently top of the league and have a lack of firepower up front with regards out and out strikers. Wenger has made clear the Premier League and Champions League take priority and so with all that factored in I expect to see a wholesale change in the Arsenal line up.
