Verdict: Both teams to score
Best odds: 1/2
Bookmaker: 888sport
The World Cup is over and the players are slowly going back to their clubs to resume their regular duties between now and the end of the season. In England, it’s the Carabao Cup first, and the fourth-round draw has coughed up the biggest rivalry of the country. On Thursday evening, Premier League champions Manchester City will play host to the holders of both cups, as well as Premier League and Champions League runners-up from last season, Liverpool.
Manchester City
This particular competition has mostly been a speciality of Pep Guardiola and his team since he took over back in 2016, and this clash will surely be the best possible opportunity to get back at Liverpool for taking that trophy away to Anfield last term. To get here, City edged out Chelsea by 2-0 in the third round, with Riyad Mahrez and World Cup winner Julian Alvarez on target.
As for the Premier League, the reigning champions are currently in second place, five points behind Arsenal, and while Guardiola obviously has a reason to feel pleased for Mikel Arteta, he won’t be too happy with the prospect of being beaten to the title by his former assistant.
Given the length of the World Cup break, as well as the fact that many players are returning to their clubs in a physical and psychological state far from optimal, there’s no real point in talking too much about form, but for what it’s worth, City drew 0-0 away to Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League, beat Leicester City away by 0-1, beat Sevilla at home 3-1, beat Fulham at home 2-1 with 10 men, knocked Chelsea out of this cup by 2-0, and eventually suffered a great shock by losing at home to Brentford, 1-2. That’s how their last-six run looks at the moment.
During the break, the players who didn’t go to the World Cup, as well as a few early returnees, won a friendly game against Girona by 2-0.
Team News
Guardiola has no significant injury issues to work around, though there is a number of key players whom he might choose to spare. Midfielder Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne are likely to start along with Erling Haaland in attack, but goalkeeper Ederson Moraes, defenders John Stones, Ruben Dias, Kyle Walker and Joao Cancelo, midfielders Kalvin Phillips and Bernardo Silva, and forwards Phil Foden and Jack Grealish, could be spared after their adventures in Qatar lasted a bit longer.
That would, of course, mean a number of academy graduates getting a chance, though there is still a possibility for those whose national sides left Qatar after the round of 16 – defenders Aymeeric Laporte, Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake, and midfielder Rodri.
Liverpool
The season has been far from ideal for Liverpool. Frequent injury problems have been hindering their efforts severely, and most of the players who weren’t directly affected by them haven’t been exactly up to their usual standards. That is the most obvious reason why the team that did so well last term currently sits in sixth place, whole 16 points behind Arsenal and 11 behind City, with Newcastle, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United all positioned in between.
As has been said, form counts for almost nothing right now, but Liverpool’s last-six list of competitive matches contains a 0-3 win over Ajax in the Champions League, a 1-2 defeat at home against Leeds United, a 2-0 victory over Napoli, a 1-2 win away to Spurs, a goalless draw followed by a successful penalty shootout against Derby County in the previous round of this cup, and a 3-1 home win over Southampton.
Liverpool spent their break in Dubai, where they faced Olympique Lyon and lost 1-3, as well as AC Milan which they managed to beat 4-1.
Team News
Goalkeeper Alisson Becker and midfielder Fabinho have returned to training following Brazil’s defeat to Croatia in the quarterfinals of the World Cup, as has captain Jordan Henderson after England lost to France and defender Virgil van Dijk after Netherlands lost to eventual champions Argentina. In fact, the only Liverpool player that went past that stage was defender Ibrahima Konate, who made a substitute appearance for France in the final.
Konate certainly won’t be involved in this match, and it remains to be seen if any of the others named above are.
There are, on the other hand, several key players in Jurgen Klopp’s ranks who didn’t go to Qatar at all. Forwards Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino are among those, while, for example, right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold went to the tournament but played very little.
Defender Joel Matip is back from a long injury, but forwards Luis Diaz (knee) and Diogo Jota (calf), as well as midfielders Curtis Jones (calf) and Arthur Melo (thigh) remain out.
Conclusion
On a normal day, in a fully competitive match, this fixture would be one of the hardest to call. It still is, given that both sides could be rusty after the World Cup, as well as the fact that both have a lot to play for in the Premier League which resumes in a couple of days.
Rotated lineups are expected and it remains to be seen which set of fringe players takes its chance better, but it should be an interesting, open game, with a lot of chances and goals at both end.
Verdict: Both teams to score
Best odds: 1/2
Bookmaker: 888sport
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