Liverpool, despite thrashing Birmingham 7-0 in last season's FA Cup at St Andrews, are no good things at 4/5. They have lost four on the bounce on the road in the league with their sole away Premiership point coming at Sheffield United, where Birmingham triumphed 4-2 in the last round. There are no suggestions here of reading those form lines laterally, but Liverpool's results away from Anfield are off putting enough to steer clear of the odds-on quotes.
Rafael Benitez looks set to tinker with his team again, and he has hinted at a return to the starting line-up for Kop idol Robbie Fowler, who looks a value bet in the anytime goalscorer market. The former England international has started just three games this season, but he has scored in two of them and is desperate to prove his worth to the team every time he lines up. His finish against Reading in the last round was masterful, and his record of 30 league cup goals in 36 games is a statistic he can improve further on Wednesday.
Another game, another controversy for Chelsea and their travelling circus, but you get the feeling Jose Mourinho and his team thrive on the attention and they remain focused on their pursuit for all things silver. There are reasons to believe Chelsea can go all the way in the Carling Cup this season, and I think they will beat Aston Villa on Wednesday but at 2/5 they are definitely no bet material. They have lost just once away from home in the Premiership, and are sure to give Chelsea a good game.
With John Terry suspended after his farcical sending off against Tottenham, Villa's best route to goal maybe through set pieces, and the man who can capitalise is Juan Pablo Angel. The Colombian scored his only goal against Chelsea in the league cup, and like Fowler he relishes this competition. He is well worth an interest at 100/30 to score anytime.
Everton have beaten Arsenal three times in the last six games at Goodison Park, and against Arsene Wenger's second-string they can make it four in seven. David Moyes doesn't have the luxury of resting most of his first team, and many of the players who lost 1-0 to Fulham on Saturday will be required to pull on the blue jersey again. Arsenal's first XI have been playing well but have been wasteful in front of goal in recent matches, not that it matters as the majority of players on show in the Carling Cup won't have played since the last round against West Brom.
They were impressive in that 2-0 win, but Everton will be a much sterner test. No matter what Wenger says, the Carling Cup means much more to Everton than it does to Arsenal, as it's a realistic chance of silverware and a route into Europe. Everton are 7/5 with plenty of firms and it's a price well worth taking.
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