The talk of football this week has been about a centrepiece cup competition that has captured our hearts. A competition whose very name evokes emotional, visceral memories. Everyone has a story to tell about the great cup, from triumph to tragedy and everything in between. I am of course talking about the Carabao Cup.
Facetiousness aside, the close of a World Cup usually brings an empty, disconsolate wait for football to return. But the quirks of the bizarrely-scheduled Qatar tournament has meant that they’re still sweeping up confetti in Lusail as England’s secondary domestic cup returns for its round of 16 stage.
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The Carabao gets a bad rap in some quarters. But these games will serve as the first time fans of the Premier League teams involved have seen their club in a competitive fixture for a month. For most of us, there’s no such thing as too much football.
Here’s this week’s Carabao Cup fixtures in full.
Tuesday 20th December (all 7.45pm kick off)
Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Gillingham
Gillingham’s two most recent League Two fixtures against Bradford City and Stockport were postponed, meaning they also come into this tie after a significant break. Former Spain and Real Madrid boss Julen Lopetegui will be taking charge of his first competitive Wolves fixture.
Betfred Odds: Wolves 1/8, Gillingham 22/1, Draw 7/1
New Saints manager Nathan Jones has had a month to get his feet under the table, after being thrown in at the deep end with a defeat to Liverpool. Lincoln’s last match was a 4-2 victory over Everton under-21s in the Papa John’s Trophy.
Betfred Odds: Southampton 2/7, Lincoln 11/1, Draw 5/1
Newcastle United vs Bournemouth
Eddie Howe welcomes his former club to St James’ Park for the first of two all-Premier League ties in this round of 16. Phillip Billing and Alexander Isak got the goals in a 1-1 league draw between the sides in September.
Betfred Odds: Newcastle 4/9, Bournemouth 6/1, Draw 7/2
#EFL | #CarabaoCup
Milton Keynes Dons vs Leicester City
Foxes star Harvey Barnes returns to Stadium:MK, where he played on loan at Dons in 2017. Dons sacked head coach Liam Manning last week, while his caretaker replacement Dean Lewington will be absent due to needing hamstring surgery.
Betfred Odds: MK Dons 8/1, Leicester City 4/11, Draw 18/5
Wednesday 21st December
Charlton Athletic vs Brighton & Hove Albion (7.45pm)
Brighton now have a World Cup winner in their squad, with Alexis Mac Allister having helped Argentina to lift the famous trophy. He won’t be in the squad at The Valley, but you can expect to hear his name sung in the away end.
Betfred Odds: Charlton 8/1, Brighton 1/3, Draw 4/1
Blackburn Rovers vs Nottingham Forest (7.45pm)
Two teams with plenty of history in this competition. An Andrew Cole winner against Tottenham Hotspur saw Rovers lift the cup in 2002. Forest have won four League Cups, all under their iconic former manager Brian Clough.
Betfred Odds: Blackburn 2/1, Forest 11/8, Draw 23/10
Manchester United vs Burnley (8pm)
Anything can happen when Burnley travel to Old Trafford. January 2020 saw The Clarets leave the Theatre of Dreams with a shock 2-0 win. United will be without first-choice defensive pairing Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane, who faced off in the World Cup final on Sunday.
Betfred Odds: United 4/11, Burnley 7/1, Draw 4/1
Thursday 22nd December (8pm kick off)
The holders face the Premier League champions in the blockbuster clash of this round of 16. Liverpool are the top all-time EFL Cup winners, with nine titles. City are one behind them with eight. A repeat of the 2016 final, which City won on penalties.
Betfred Odds: City 9/10, Liverpool 11/4, Draw 11/4
*18+ | BeGambleAware | All Odds Presented In This Piece Are Subject To Change
