League Cup action resumes this week and all eyes should be on Arsenal v Chelsea, Manchester United against Norwich and Newcastle United v Man City.
The Mickey Mouse cup? You must be joking. There are a few interesting looking ties in the League Cup this week as we get to the last 16 with sides dreaming of a trip to Wembley with the view of picking up the first major trophy on offer this season.
Though there are other interesting ties this week, here are five ties that look particularly tasty.
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Arsenal v Chelsea
The top two in the Premier League go head-to-head at the Emirates Stadium but with fixtures piling up expect both of these sides to change their personnel vastly. It is always interesting to see the future of Arsenal as their youth system has such a good reputation, but it will be intriguing to see how much strength in depth there is amongst Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea side.
Manchester United v Norwich City
It may not feel like it just yet but there is a bit of momentum at Old Trafford for David Moyes having gone through the past five games without defeat – winning three and drawing two. Though changes are inevitable, he will want to maintain the consistency. Norwich will go to Old Trafford looking to try and find some momentum of their own after a stuttering start to the season.
Burnley v West Ham United
These kind of ties are always interesting to watch. Top of the Championship Burnley against stuttering West Ham United has all the hallmarks of a cup upset. It will be interesting to look at how seriously Sam Allardyce takes this game in terms of his team selection – but expect a relatively close encounter either way.
Newcastle United v Manchester City
Both sides will be looking to bounce back from disappointing defeats at the weekend. One would expect Manuel Pellegrini to make several changes to his City side given the vast array of talent his squad possesses. Alan Pardew may be thinking of freshening up his side but he may also be thinking that if Newcastle take the scalp of Manchester City there is a genuine possibility he could deliver a trophy for his club this season.
Leicester v Fulham
There has been lots of talk of pressure on Fulham manager Martin Jol, and Fulham notoriously have a pretty poor cup record, despite managing to overcome Everton in the last round. Leicester are also putting up a good early challenge for promotion from the Championship this season, so this is going to be a tricky tie for the visitors.
Which game will you be keeping an eye on this week?
image: © stephoto27
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