The EFL Cup reaches its final stages this week, as the quarterfinal fixtures are played. Places in the semi-finals are up for grabs for teams still involved, but which four sides will make it one step closer to the Wembley this season, and a fight for the first domestic trophy of the season in England?
Arsenal vs Sunderland
| Arsenal | -500 |
| Draw | +550 |
| Sunderland | +1400 |
League One Sunderland will be hoping to cause a shock in the quarterfinals of the EFL Cup this week, as they will be the massive underdogs to beat Arsenal. The Gunners have hit form in recent weeks, and are looking a credible contender for a top four place in the Premier League under Mikel Arteta. However, winning a trophy will be high on the agenda for the Spanish manager this season.
The EFL Cup could be their best chance of achieving that feat, as they are potentially just a couple of wins away from making the final. Their case in this fixture is helped by the fact that Sunderland haven’t won away from home against the Gunners since a League Cup fixture back in November 2002. Arsenal would appear to be the best pick here.
Pick: Arsenal
Brentford vs Chelsea
| Brentford | +425 |
| Draw | +270 |
| Chelsea | -143 |
Chelsea have endured a dip in form in recent weeks, as they have dropped to third in the Premier League despite being top just a couple of weeks ago. The Blues also endured a disappointing end to their Champions League campaign, as they finished second in the group behind Juventus. Thomas Tuchel has made his side very hard to beat in cup competitions in recent seasons, as they have only lost against Leicester City and Juventus across all cup competitions.
Brentford achieved their best showing in this competition last season, as they reached the final four. They will be looking to achieve the same feat once again this season. Chelsea have struggled through the previous two rounds, needing penalties to see off both Aston Villa and Southampton. We could see their luck running out this week.
Pick: Brentford
Liverpool vs Leicester City
| Liverpool | -154 |
| Draw | +300 |
| Leicester City | +400 |
Liverpool will be looking for a record ninth success in the EFL Cup this season, but Jurgen Klopp is once again expected to ring the changes ahead of this showdown with Leicester City. This competition will likely rank pretty low on the trophies that the Reds will be looking to win this season, while the Foxes are likely to field a slightly stronger starting eleven.
Klopp is unlikely to risk Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane ahead of crucial league games over the coming eight days, but Leicester will see a trophy success as a huge achievement this season. For that reason, our preference is for the travelling side this week.
Pick: Leicester City
Tottenham Hotspur vs West Ham
| Tottenham Hotspur | +130 |
| Draw | +230 |
| West Ham | +220 |
The game of the round in the quarterfinals comes from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, as a London derby between West Ham and Spurs is on the agenda. Antonio Conte will be keen to end Tottenham’s long wait without a trophy this season, as they came so close to winning this competition last season before losing to Manchester City in the final.
The Hammers have certainly needed to get to this point the hard way, as they have needed to beat both Manchester United and Manchester City. We like their chances of knocking out another of the big six on their way to the semi-finals of the competition this week.
Pick: West Ham
