Carling Cup: Fourth round draw brings new challenges for Premier League teams
It is safe to say that the Carling Cup competition has not been a happy one as far as the 2010-2011 season. A lot of the current English Premier League teams have failed to perform in the tournament which is annually held under the sponsorship
of Carling. Formerly, Carling Cup was known as the League Cup, a name that is still used in some media quarters throughout the world.
In the third round of matches in the Carling Cup, Premier League giants such as Liverpool, Tottenham and Chelsea faced knockouts while others like West Ham United, Manchester United and Newcastle United proceeded to the fourth round of
the cup after winning their respective ties. The biggest shock of the third round of the Carling Cup came at Anfield where Liverpool were dealt a hurtful defeat by Northampton. The division two strugglers gave the Reds a very tough time and eventually won
the match on penalties which were ironically held in front of the KOP stand at Anfield. The defeat for Liverpool meant that they would not be eligible for participation in the next round of the tournament.
Chelsea’s knockout was also a strange one as they hosted fellow Premier league club, Newcastle United at the Stamford Bridge. Newcastle took a three goal lead early on in the game but then the Blues fought back to bring the score line
back to three all. However, Shola Ameobi netted the winner for Newcastle United in the dying minutes of the game to thwart the English champions, their first defeat of the 2010-2011 season. Chelsea’s local rivals, Tottenham were also knocked out of the Carling
Cup as they lost their tie against fellow North Londoners, Arsenal. Arsene Wenger’s boys thrashed Spurs by four goals to one to book their place in the next round of the competition.
Manchester United who progressed to the fourth round after shipping five goals past a despairing Scunthorpe defence whilst only conceding two, were a part of Saturday’s Carling Cup fourth round draw. In the draw, Sir Alex Ferguson’s team
has been drafted to face Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford. It will be a tough squad test for Ferguson’s men who are expected to do well in the Carling Cup as they are currently the defending champions of the tournament. Brentford, third round’s eliminators
of the English Premier League side, Everton have been paired up with Birmingham City. Brentford will be second favourites in the tie but anything can happen on a Cup football night is what the saying goes in English football.
Northampton, conquerors of Liverpool have been given an easier task in the fourth round as they make a trip to Ipswich town, to face Ipswich Town F.C. Aston Villa, another English Premier League team who made it to the fourth round of
the Carling Cup face Burnley whilst West Ham United face Stoke at their home stadium i.e. the Upton Park. Aston Villa’s ex-manager’s previous team, Leicester City will not be relishing their fourth round match-up against West Bromwich Albion. West Brom qualified
for the fourth round after inflicting a narrow defeat to the cash laden, Manchester City.
Wigan and Arsenal face Swansea and Newcastle United respectively. Wigan’s tie is significant because it will force their present manager, Roberto Martinez to face his ex-employers in the shape of Swansea City F.C in the fourth round of
the Carling Cup competition. Newcastle will fancy themselves in their match against Arsenal but they will also be wary of the quality that Arsenal’s young team possesses. Out of the sixteen teams that will participate in the fourth round, ten belong to the
English Premier League whereas only one team represents the Npower Football League Two of English football.
At the moment, Manchester United and Arsenal are hot favourites to win the cup, the Gunners have not won the league cup since 1993 while the Red Devils won it in the 2008-2009 season as well as the 2009-2010 season.
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