James Buttler looks at the Wednesday night game between Spurs and Liverpool in the League Cup Semi-Final.
Spurs in poor form
Since Tottenham beat Man Utd 4-3 in the previous round of the Carabao Cup they are winless in four Premier League matches with just one point gained in a 1-1 home draw with struggling Wolves in that period. They have only won once at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in their last eight home games. It isn’t sparkling form to take into Wednesday evening’s semi-final first-leg clash with high-flying Liverpool.
To add illness to injury, Spurs’ squad is ravaged by absentees and new signing Antonin Kinsky is likely to go straight into the keeper spot after joining from Slavia Prague.
Liverpool flying high
Arne Slot’s visitors beat Spurs 6-3 when they met in the league just before Christmas and are now unbeaten in their last 24 matches across all competitions, although they will have been disappointed with the 2-2 draw against Man Utd at Anfield on Sunday.
With Radu Dragusin potentially missing with injury, makeshift centre backs Djed Spence and Archie Gray likely to start, Liverpool will fancy their chances of notching a few goals. The Reds are very much in contention on all fronts as they sit top of the Premier League and Champions League tables. Arne Slot may well rest a few, but Liverpool will still be highly motivated and strong.
A nine-goal thriller like in December may be asking too much but Spurs score and concede at pace and Liverpool are confident and firing.
Ange Postecoglou needs a result and the Carabao Cup on the mantlepiece would silence some critics at the end of the season. But if Spurs fans can forget the results, the entertainment levels are high – possibly better for the neutral.
League Cup goals aplenty?
I do fancy Liverpool to win this, but remember the tie is over two legs and Slot’s team are more than equipped to take this back to Anfield and perform, if they have to.
So, let’s just play goals. Both Teams To Score has landed in the last nine meetings between the teams and over 2.5 match goals has landed in eight of those nine. 23 goals have been scored in the last five meetings in London, an average of 4.6 per game, and that trend is rising,
Over 4.5 match goals on Wednesday is 17/10 with Unibet and Over 5.5 is 19/5 with vbet. I’d play both with split stakes and potentially even have a nibble on Over 6.5 at 8/1 with Bet MGM too.
This promises not to be dull, but however you bet, please gamble responsibly.