EFL Cup final

For the first time since the 2016-17 season, Manchester City has not reached the finals. For the first time since the 2014-15 season, the final won’t feature any Manchester clubs. It will be the ninth final for Chelsea, which will aim to win the trophy for the sixth time. Liverpool will try to set a new record by winning their ninth title… Yes, we are talking about the Carabao Cup final!

In the modern ranking of national tournaments, the English Football League Cup comes third. Ahead, quite naturally, there are the Premier League and the FA Cup – a gradation that has existed for almost six decades, that is, since the establishment of the competition in 1960. Recently, there have been more and more talks that England does not need this tournament, but as we can see, the giants are still winning it and have interest in it because it is a great opportunity to test reserve teams and main talents of the junior squads. It would be surprising if clubs refused such an opportunity to provide playing practice. Moreover, the winner qualifies for the UEFA Europa Conference League, which adds more motivation to the participants and attracts more attention from millions of fans and sports betting devotees around the world! 

Although the tournament is short-lived, it’s spectacular and full of sensations and unpredictable results, which provides room for online football betting. Thus, having started in August, the current season is now coming to an end. 92 clubs from England’s four top divisions were fighting for the main trophy, but only Chelsea and Liverpool proved to be the strongest ones in this race! The final bout will take place at Wembley Stadium in London on February 27, 2022, at 16:30 UK time.

So, now we’re only a week away from the denouement. How did the finalists manage to reach the top? Who has a better chance of winning and what to consider when placing a bet on the EFL Cup? Get the answers to these questions in this article!

Chelsea’s and Liverpool’s paths to the EFL Cup final

Chelsea could have left the competition as early as the third round when Aston Villa put up a strong resistance against Thomas Tuchel’s team. Finally, however, the Blues won on penalties, and in the next round, they also beat Southampton on penalties. In the quarterfinals, the future finalist confidently defeated Brentford (2-0), and in the semifinals, Jorginho and company overtook London’s Tottenham. As you can see, Chelsea’s road was quite challenging. What’s more, in the EPL, the Pensioners are not doing so well either – the quality of footballers’ playing does not always help achieve the maximum result. 

Unlike its opponent, Liverpool had far fewer problems in the first rounds. Jürgen Klopp’s squad confidently smashed Norwich City 3-0 and Preston North End 2-0, but in the quarterfinals, it was more difficult to perform against a worthy adversary – Leicester City. However, the Reds also managed to beat the Foxes, first drawing 3-3 in regulation time and then gaining the upper hand on penalties. In the semifinals, Liverpool faced Arsenal’s serious opposition. The clubs turned out to be different in classes. Even though the Gunners managed to tie in the first round, in the second one, they could not resist fierce Diogo Jota, who masterfully scored two goals despite the absence of mascots Salah and Mane. In the Premier League, Liverpool still has a good chance of triumph, but for this, Henderson and his team will have to give their all in every game, otherwise, Guardiola and the Cityzens will gain the title again.

EFL Cup predictions and betting online

Carabao Cup winner odds speak in favor of the Reds. The Pensioners last lifted the trophy in the 14/15 season, while the Merseysiders – in 2012.

In the 2021/2022 EPL edition, Chelsea and Liverpool encountered twice, and both matchups ended in a draw (1-1, 2-2). In general, these clubs’ fighting is always intense, especially after Tuchel’s coming. In recent weeks, Chelsea has confidently struggled, both defensively and offensively. So, the Blues shouldn’t be underestimated. And here’s what Liverpool’s center-back Virgil van Dijk thinks about the upcoming battle, “It’s going to be a very difficult final because we have to play against an amazing team. Chelsea is a fantastic club, with very talented players who are individually strong; they have an amazing manager, a great game structure, and it will be a really challenging encounter for us. We have to do our best in order to win; we have to be stronger than our opponent, we have to be better in everything, that’s the only way we can win this title.”

Salah and Mane, in their turn, will join Liverpool for the final battle and add power to the slight favorite. Who will win the final of the English Football League Cup then? The odds are almost equal, and the Reds’ slight advantage should not be taken into account seriously. To stake on an absolute win of any team is risky enough. So, you can play it safe with zero handicaps, for example, or bet on an exchange of goals, considering that in 15 of the last 17 matches between the teams, the ball hit the back of the net at least two times. Also, a draw can’t be excluded, so you may cover this outcome with the double chance option to increase your betting winning chances!

Each adversary is willing to add a prestigious trophy to its collection; therefore, both will be fighting for the well-deserved award to the last. Thus, there is a high probability that the outcome of the meeting will be decided in a penalty shootout – try your hand at online punting on penalty, if you agree with that! 

And before we wrap up, we’d like to share a few more useful facts to help you bet effectively on this event!

• In the last 50 games, Chelsea gained 28 victories, suffered 7 defeats, and had 15 draws.
• In Liverpool’s last 50 matches, there are 36 wins, 11 draws, and 3 losses.
• On average, the Blues score 1.8 and concede 0.7 goals per game.
• The Reds tend to score 2.4 and concede 0.8 goals per match. 
• The rivals previously met at Chelsea’s Stadium on January 2, 2022, when a 2-2 draw was recorded.