Carling Cup Betting Preview: Arsenal v Liverpool

Carling Cup / Feizal Rahman / 27 October 2009 / Leave a Comment

"Arsenal’s policy of promoting their youngsters in this competition has served them well, having reached at least the quarter-final stage in each of the last six seasons."

Liverpool's away form hasn't been good this season but, after beating Manchester United at the weekend, are they ready to triumph over Arsenal's youngsters at the Emirates?

Arsenal welcome Liverpool for this Carling Cup fourth round tie with a 100 percent record at the Emirates this season. The visitors, meanwhile, have lost their last three away fixtures in which they have failed to score a single goal.

The Gunners, however, are winless in their last seven matches against the Merseysiders in all competitions, with five of those encounters ending in a draw. The sides are [3.6] to take this to extra time, with home win available at [2.2] and the away victory trading at [3.6].

The most recent domestic cup meeting of the two clubs was in January 2007 when Arsenal won both an FA Cup and a Carling Cup tie at Anfield in the space of a week, the latter by a whopping 6-3 scoreline. That result was one of five times in the last five seasons that Liverpool have been eliminated from the Carling Cup by a London team.

Arsene Wenger will make the now customary wholesale changes to his team with a significant injection of youth. Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey and Kieran Gibbs are all expected to be named in the starting line-up while goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski will make his first appearance of the season. Phillipe Senderos and Mikael Silvestre will add experience to the defence while French international Samir Nasri should make his long-awaited return from injury.

Eighteen-year-old Sanchez Watt opened the scoring in the 2-0 win over West Brom in the previous round and will be around [8.0] to do the same here. However, it was substitute Carlos Vela who seemed to turn that game in Arsenal's favour and the Mexican is likely to be around [3.5] to score at anytime.

While the Arsenal boss will have no hesitation in naming a second-string eleven, his Liverpool counterpart may find himself with a dilemma. Rafa Benitez hasn't tended to be as drastic with personnel changes in this competition but will have to decide whether to field a strong side to maintain the momentum gained from Sunday's much-needed win over Manchester United or play a weakened side with a view to future fixtures and risk a fifth defeat in the last six.

Alberto Aquilani has been named in the Liverpool squad and may be handed his Reds debut while Sunday's goal hero David Ngog - who also scored the winner against Leeds in the previous round - should start in attack (around [4.0] to score at anytime).

The last 10 encounters between these sides has averaged over four goals per game ([3.5] available for Over 3.5 goals) though the last three at the Emirates have ended one apiece - a repeat available at [8.4] in the correct score market.

Liverpool have not failed to find the net against Arsenal in the last nine attempts and with the Gunners keeping a clean sheet only four times in the last 10 at home, backing both sides to score at anything over [1.7] may appeal.

Arsenal's policy of promoting their youngsters in this competition has served them well, having reached at least the quarter-final stage in each of the last six seasons. It may end up being a case of the hungrier young guns wanting this more than a Liverpool side with perhaps bigger concerns in the league and in Europe. Having taken 68 minutes to break down West Brom in the third round though, it may pay to back the draw at half-time with the home side triumphant come full time at [6.0].