In The Mixer is FST’s weekly column where we catch up with our team of football betting experts and get their opinion on the hot topic of the week.
This week, our seven experts pick their EFL Cup winner, with five different winners picked out in what looks to be a wide-open tournament as we head into the quarter-final stage!
EFL Cup outright winner odds
- Arsenal – 5/2
- Liverpool – 11/4
- Newcastle – 9/2
- Tottenham – 5/1
- Man Utd – 6/1
- Brentford – 16/1
- Crystal Palace – 25/1
- Southampton – 40/1
Rob Eddy
Having tipped up Tottenham earlier in the tournament at a much bigger price, my temptation is to stick with them ahead of their clash with Man United, who are still failing to convince despite their derby win.
The same could be said of Spurs given their inconsistencies and injury problems, but they have the confidence boost of a 5-0 rout of Southampton and home advantage, while having already won 3-0 at Old Trafford earlier this season.
As an alternative, holders and league leaders Liverpool look better value at 11-4 than Arsenal as they have been more consistent and will always carry a goal threat.
Liam Flin
Arsenal head into their EFL Cup quarter-final with Crystal Palace unbeaten in their last eight matches and the Gunners could well go the distance.
Playing at home against the Eagles is a bonus for Mikel Arteta, who will be eager to pick up more silverware with the Gunners given the Premier League title is out of their hands and there is a long way to go in the Champions League.
They have the squad depth to compete with young talents such as Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly eager to impress and they will be cautious of complacency after their fourth-round exit in the competition last season.
Gareth Freeman
It looks as if Arne Slot is going to win at least one piece of silverware in his first season in charge at Liverpool and he can get that ticked off the list early on with the EFL Cup.
A quarter-final draw against Southampton shouldn’t be a problem, and then the semi-finals fall in January and early February when they won’t have any upcoming Champions League games as a distraction.
I’d fancy them to win comfortably against Manchester United and Tottenham on current form. Arsenal and Newcastle look the biggest threats but if I had to back anyone right now I’d go for Liverpool.
Enda McElhinney
It’s easy to forget Mikel Arteta won the FA Cup with Arsenal in 2020, a behind-closed-doors Wembley win over Chelsea.
#His side have progressed quite some way since and, but for Manchester City’s brilliance, might have snared a Premier League title by now.
There are enough signs already this term to suggest they’ll come up short in the title race but the EFL Cup draw has been kind and the fact that the Gunners boss could really do with some more silverware might be a key motivating factor in ending a three-decade wait to lift this trophy.
Tom McGarry
Liverpool may have been held to a 2-2 draw by Fulham in the Premier League on Saturday, but they remain top of the standings and are also flying in the Champions League and the EFL Cup.
The Reds have won the EFL Cup a record 10 times, lifting the trophy last season under Jurgen Klopp, and there is no reason why Arne Slot can’t follow in his predecessor’s footsteps this term.
A trip to struggling Southampton in the quarter-finals represents a favourable draw for Slot and Co and, from there, few would back against Liverpool going all the way.
Aaron Rogan
Ruben Amorim’s career owes a huge debt to the Portuguese League Cup, which he won three times between 2020 and 2022 across spells with Braga and Sporting. Those wins aided his rise and they played a key role in turning things around in Lisbon.
Despite United’s struggles, they’ve won a cup in consecutive seasons. While they don’t look consistent enough to go on a run in the league, Amorim can get enough out of them for a few more victories in this competition. They’ve got little reason to fear an inconsistent Spurs side, making them a tempting 6/1 shot.
Alex Wrigley
Newcastle have a favourable home tie against a Brentford side that have been woeful on the road, and they look a good bet to go the whole way and win their first-ever EFL Cup title.
With no European commitments to distract them, they can afford to field a strong lineup and they have already eliminated Chelsea. Arsenal, Liverpool, and Spurs have all opted to rotate in this competition, and it is unclear how seriously new Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim will take this competition even if they can make it past a tricky trip to Spurs on Thursday.
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