The Carabao Cup continues on Wednesday. With 7/2, 8/1 and 18/1 winners in recent days, Tom Carnduff takes a look at the betting.
Recommended bets
1pt Son Heung-Min to score anytime in Arsenal v Tottenham at 13/5
1pt Ruben Loftus-Cheek to score anytime in Chelsea v Bournemouth at 7/2
1pt Jefferson Lerma to score anytime in Chelsea v Bournemouth at 28/1
For details of advised bookmakers and each-way terms, visit our transparent tipping record
Arsenal v Tottenham
Emirates Stadium, 1945 GMT, Sky Sports Main Event
The highlight on Wednesday night is the second North London derby in a month as Arsenal welcome Tottenham to the Emirates Stadium again.
The Gunners ran out 4-2 winners in a highly-entertaining encounter on the first weekend of December, and despite this being a Carabao Cup contest, you know both will be eager for victory.
Spurs may be boosted by a potential return for Davinson Sanchez and Juan Foyth, but Mousa Dembele, Serge Aurier and Victor Wanyama will definitely miss out on this game.
Even with potential returns, and it remains to be seen if those players will be risked, both defences will be considerably weaker than usual which does set it up to be another high-scoring encounter.
There could also be plenty of shots on goal, which is why there is value on offer in the stats betting.
Two players who could feature are Alexandre Lacazette and Son Heung-Min, who were both on the bench in their respective Premier League games at the weekend.
Danny Welbeck was Arsenal's preferred striker in this competition, but his long-term injury could see Emery turn to Lacazette to lead the line with a place in the semi-final on offer.
The Frenchman sits second for shots taken in this Arsenal side, only Pierre-Emerick Aubamyeng has more in the Premier League, and there's a great opportunity to add to his tally here.
On the opposite side, Son's 25 shots in the Premier League puts him second - behind Harry Kane - and he carries a real attacking threat for the visitors.
Son has also played near half the amount of minutes in the league as the likes of Lucas Moura, but posts more attempts to find the net.
That's why the value is there in backing 3+ shots on target for Lacazette and 2+ on target for Son at a huge 18/1 in what should be an open and entertaining encounter.
Score prediction: Arsenal 2-2 Tottenham (Sky Bet odds: 11/1)
Best bet: Son Heung-Min to score anytime in Arsenal v Tottenham at 13/5
Best bet: Alexandre Lacazette 3+ shots on target and Son Heung-min 2+ shots on target in Arsenal v Tottenham
Opta facts
- This match will see Arsenal vs Tottenham become the joint-most played fixture in League Cup history (14 times, level with Arsenal v Liverpool).
- Arsenal have won seven of their previous 13 League Cup meetings with Tottenham (D3 L3), including the most recent two (2010-11 and 2015-16).
- Following Arsenal’s win against Spurs in the league meeting between them at the start of December, they’re looking to beat their rivals twice in the same calendar month for the first time since March 1987.
- Arsenal are looking to reach the League Cup semi-finals in consecutive seasons for the first time since a run of three between 2005-06 and 2007-08.
- Tottenham are looking to reach the League Cup semi-finals for the first time since 2014-15, when they eventually lost the final to Chelsea.
- Arsenal have won their last six League Cup home games, though just two of these have been against fellow Premier League opposition.
- Among players at clubs still in the competition, no-one has more assists in the League Cup this season than Arsenal’s Matteo Guendouzi (2).
- Tottenham striker Harry Kane hasn’t played in a League Cup match since September 2015, when Spurs lost 1-2 at home to Arsenal thanks to a Mathieu Flamini brace.
Chelsea v Bournemouth
Stamford Bridge, 1945 GMT
Chelsea will be looking to move a step closer to their first trophy under Maurizio Sarri's leadership, and they are odds-on 3/10 favourites to book a place in the semi-final.
Sarri should make changes here as he has done in previous rounds. The 3-2 victory over Sky Bet Championship side Derby saw a near completely-different starting XI.
This game will see similar and someone like Ruben Loftus-Cheek can find the net if he is included from the off. The 22-year-old has six goals on his tally in 13 games across all competitions, lining up in an attacking position in his only start in the Carabao Cup.
A best price of 7/2 is generous on Loftus-Cheek scoring against a changed Bournemouth side, with the value still there is that price goes down to around the 5/2 mark.
Another goalscorer price that caught my eye was the huge 28/1 available on Jefferson Lerma to score anytime, with the midfielder already hitting the net this season.
He may be grabbing the headlines for the number of cards he has been shown, a total of seven yellows already, but that doesn't mean we should avoid backing him to score when odds such as that are available.
Lerma sits fifth in the shots taken charts for Bournemouth this season, highlighting his confidence for trying his luck despite a more defensive midfield role.
Given the current injuries to Dan Gosling and Lewis Cook, Eddie Howe is unlikely to be in a position to change the midfield area too much, which should see Lerma retain his starting position at Stamford Bridge.
It's worth a small stake on that 28/1, although the value is still there as long as the odds remain in the double figures.
Score prediction: Chelsea 3-1 Bournemouth (Sky Bet odds: 10/1)
Best bet: Ruben Loftus-Cheek to score anytime at 7/2
Best bet: Jefferson Lerma to score anytime at 28/1
Opta facts
- Chelsea have won all three of their League Cup meetings with Bournemouth, including a 2-1 victory at this exact stage last season.
- Bournemouth lost 1-2 against Chelsea at this exact stage last season – Dan Gosling had equalized in the 90th minute for the Cherries but Alvaro Morata scored Chelsea’s winner just 75 seconds later.
- Chelsea are looking to reach the League Cup semi-finals in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2007-08.
- Bournemouth are looking to reach the semi-finals of the League Cup for the first time in their history.
- Chelsea have won seven of their last eight home League Cup games (D1), since a 0-2 defeat vs Swansea in the 2012-13 semi-final.
- Bournemouth have won two of their last five League Cup games against top-flight opponents (L3), as many as they had in their previous 22 in the competition (W2 D5 L15).
- Chelsea have benefitted from two own goals in the League Cup this season, more than any other side and accounting for 40% of their total goals scored (2/5).
- Junior Stanislas has scored in his last two League Cup games for Bournemouth.
Odds correct at 1755 GMT (18/12/18)
