oddschecker have the latest on whether changes to Liverpool’s pre-final schedule will affect their Carabao Cup odds in the next few weeks.
Carabao Cup final returns to February slot
With this year’s Carabao Cup final reverting to its traditional late February slot having been pushed back to April in 2021 to house more fans, it returns to a busy time in the calendar when the return of Champions League football is typically highest on the top clubs’ agenda.
Whether this has an impact on the outcome of the final, or indeed the Carabao Cup odds in the build up to the match, is hard to analyse given the recent dominance enjoyed by Manchester City – a team with such a bloated squad full of stars that a certain amount of rotation can have very little impact.
For example, the Carabao Cup final in 2020 came just four days after Manchester City had travelled to Real Madrid in the Champions League. Only three players from the starting XI against Real Madrid turned out again against Aston Villa in Kyle Walker, Rodri and Ilkay Gundogan, with City still winning both matches by a 2-1 scoreline.
Liverpool given extra game against Leeds
However, there’s now another factor to add to the equation, as a home fixture against Leeds - rearranged after a Boxing Day Covid cancellation - has been dropped on Liverpool just four days before the final. Up until yesterday, the Reds had a free week to prepare for Chelsea.
Before that, Chelsea were facing the tougher schedule of the two finalists, as they take on Lille in the Champions League Round of 16 first leg at Stamford Bridge just five days before the Carabao Cup final at Wembley. Liverpool play their first leg against Inter Milan on the Wednesday before.
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The last time Chelsea made the final of the Carabao Cup in 2019, they played Malmo at home just three days before going on to lose against City on penalties at Wembley. However, not much can be read into team changes on that occasion, as it was the Europa League Round of 32 – rather than the Champions League Round of 16 – and they already had a lead of 2-1 from the away leg.
Even though Liverpool’s Carabao Cup final preparations have been clouded somewhat by the extra fixture against Leeds, it would also be fair to say that Liverpool at least enjoy the easier fixture on the weekend before the final.
The Reds are at Anfield against Norwich – a team with just seven goals and eight points from 11 Premier League away games so far this season. Chelsea head to Crystal Palace, a team only behind West Ham and the league’s top three in terms of most home goals scored this season.
Latest Carabao Cup final odds
Liverpool remain the 11/7 favourites, with Chelsea now an attractive looking 28/13 best price. As oddschecker expert Tom Love rightly pointed out last week, the Blues only lost twice in 27 matches from October through to the end of January despite a supposed dip in form. They have drawn too many home games of late but shouldn’t be written off in a one-off final.
