The recent EFL Cup Fourth Round offered the opportunity for Liverpool to find some respite from their Premier League woes. The Reds are in the midst of their worst league run in years after suffering four defeats on the bounce and potentially falling out of title contention already. As such, the visit of Crystal Palace to Anfield in the League Cup provided the perfect opportunity for the Merseysiders to put an end to their recent troubles.
Liverpool Crash Out
Clearly, no one told manager Arne Slot that. The Dutch boss opted to field a heavily rotated team for the visit of the high-flying Eagles, with only Alexis Mac Allister, Milos Kerkez, Andrew Robertson, Federico Chiesa, and Joe Gomez selected from the usual first team squad. Their South London opponents took no such liberties, and they were to be rewarded for their show of respect to England’s second-tier cup competition.
A first-half brace from the in-form Ismaila Sarr gave Crystal Palace a deserved 2-0 halftime lead. Spanish international Yeremy Pino then added a third two minutes before full time to secure The Eagles a thumping 3-0 win, propelling them into the quarterfinals and plunging Slot and his Reds into even more trouble.
With one of English football’s heavy hitters now eliminated, online betting sites now consider Oliver Glasner’s Palace a contender to go all the way in the EFL Cup this term. The latest online sports betting at Bovada odds currently price them as a 12/1 shot to claim their second piece of domestic silverware in as many seasons. But across the competition, plenty more have their eyes on the prize.
Manchester City Avoid Swansea Scare
Pep Guardiola took Oliver Glasner’s approach as opposed to Arne Slot’s, fielding a strong starting eleven for his side’s trip to face second-tier Swansea City. Even still, though, his side was in for an almighty shock as Goncalo Franco gave the Welsh side a first-half lead at the Swansea.com Stadium. But much like the juggernaut they have become throughout their iconic Spanish boss’s decade in charge, the Blues came back firing.
Jeremie Doku brought City level six minutes before half time, with second-half strikes from Omar Marmoush and summer signing Rayan Cherki securing a 3-1 victory and progression to the quarter-finals for just the second time in five years. The Blues are now the favorites to win the competition.
Newcastle’s Impressive Form Continues
Newcastle United are the reigning EFL Cup holders, having beaten Liverpool in the Wembley showpiece last season to claim the club’s first piece of silverware in 70 years. And if there is one fanbase that is enjoying the plight of Liverpool, it is that of the Magpies. That’s because the man who scored the goal to secure the trophy last term, Alexander Isak, was coveted by the Reds all summer long, resulting in the Swedish striker showing a huge lack of respect to his now-former club as he ultimately forced his way to Anfield.
Luckily for the Toon Army, they have a new talismanic striker in the form of Germany international Nick Woltemade. The 23-year-old netted his fifth goal for his new club in a 2-0 win at home to Tottenham Hotspur in round four, ensuring that Newcastle’s defense of the trophy goes on.
Arsenal and Chelsea Both Progress
Arsenal are arguably England’s form team at present. The Gunners are in the midst of a four-game win streak in the Premier League, a run that has catapulted them to the summit of the division and has seen bookies install them as the 1/2 favorite to claim a first title since 2004. However, you have to go even further back than that for their last EFL Cup triumph.
You’d have to go all the way back to 1993 for the last time Arsenal won the League Cup, with goals from Paul Merson and Stephen Morrow downing Sheffield Wednesday under the twin towers of the old Wembley Stadium. Fast forward to 2025, and the Gunners are through to the quarterfinals for the second straight year after their heavily rotated side had enough about it to down Brighton 2-0 at the Emirates.
Their London rivals, Chelsea, are also through; however, they had to navigate a game against Wolves at Molineux to progress. It looked like it would be an easy night for the Blues when goals from Andrey Santos, Tyrique George, and teenage sensation Estavao saw them race into a three-goal lead. The hosts pulled two goals back before Chelsea’s Liam Delap was sent off for a second bookable offense.
Despite the man disadvantage, Chelsea managed to add a fourth through summer signing Jamie Gittens. Wolves would reduce the deficit to one after David Wolfe pulled another goal back in the 91st minute, but the Black Country outfit was unable to find the equalizer, and Enzo Maresca’s side will contest the quarterfinals.