Carling Cup Double

It’s almost a point of pride to the top sides in the land to employ squad rotation when it comes to the Carling Cup. It’s a real face-saver. Defeat, if it happens, is only inflicted upon the reserves (and therefore doesn’t really count). On the other hand, winning (even with the reserves) suggests there really is no stopping you! In fixtures that must be settled on the night, I have decided to back Liverpool and Man City to progress, despite both playing on Sunday afternoon. That shouldn’t really matter if the line-ups are changing dramatically.

Liverpool head to Stamford Bridge with Kenny Dalglish having never lost to Chelsea in 12 matches as manager of the Anfield club; he has won nine and drawn three. The history wouldn’t really matter if it was all in the distant past, but the Reds won on this ground just over a week ago! It was the same story just after ‘King Kenny’ returned to Merseyside back in February.

Andre Villas-Boas is under pressure and even the Carling Cup seems to matter when things are going wrong in the Premiership and Champions League. Trepidation will only grow among home players and supporters if the match remains tight, as you would expect it to. In that atmosphere, it seems likely that Liverpool will find a way to progress, even if it requires extra time or penalties. With John Terry suspended for Chelsea, the underfire boss can’t even call upon his most trusted defender. The Reds are 2/1 (Ladbrokes) to qualify with Ladbrokes, and it looks a good bet.

The second part of the double backs league leaders Manchester City to go the Emirates Stadium and progress past a youthful Arsenal side. A dreadful record down the years for the visitors doesn’t seem to matter a jot when Mancini’s squad has unprecedented depth in 2011. Both managers will ring the changes for this clash, but, quite simply, that will hurt the Gunners’ hopes a lot more than the Citizens.

Mancini will presumably call upon the likes of Dzeko, Johnson, Kolo Toure and De Jong on Tuesday night - none of whom started on Sunday. In contrast, Arsene Wenger has a lack of world class players waiting in the wings. Robin Van Persie will probably be rested, and that alone reduces the potency of the hosts by an unquantifiably huge amount. With Theo Walcott, Abou Diaby and Aaron Ramsey all also likely to make way, Arsenal may be a little outclassed. Man City are rightly 4/6 (Ladbrokes) to qualify, but the combined odds with backing Liverpool look tempting at 4/1 with Ladbrokes.