Champions Travel

Carabao Cup Round 4 Preview - What can we expect?

With domestic football very much back on the agenda in England, attention has turned to the Carabao Cup, with every side dreaming of reaching a Wembley final and picking up a trophy in the Spring.

Serial Carabao Cup winners Manchester City were dumped out at the first hurdle, losing to last year’s finalists Newcastle United, with the Magpies travelling to holders Manchester United next – a repeat of last year’s final.

Elsewhere, there are three more all-Premier League ties, with Liverpool travelling to Bournemouth, trophy chasing Arsenal trekking across London to play West Ham and Everton hosting Burnley, in a welcome distraction from the rigours of the Premier League for both sides.

With only 16 teams left in the draw, every team will be fancying their chances of progressing here, with the lure of a Wembley final a huge factor for every club and their fans.

Mansfield Town vs Port Vale
The beauty of the Carabao Cup is the open nature of the draw, and this has been epitomised this season, with League Two side Mansfield Town taking on League One outfit Port Vale in the last 16. Mansfield are flying high in League Two and are unbeaten this season under their experienced manager Nigel Clough. They will see this as a very winnable game at home, with the riches of a potential quarter final at stake. Port Vale meanwhile are a side that continue to plug away in League One, currently sat in mid-table and they too will be eager to put in a good showing here, with fans dreaming of an extended cup run.
Both sides will be bang up for this one and with only 10 league places between them, it could be a very cagey encounter.

Exeter City vs Middlesbrough
Another lower league clash pits Exeter City against Middlesbrough, with the League One side hoping to spring another shock in the competition.
Exeter have plenty of giant killing experience and they will see this as a winnable game, having overcome Luton Town in the last round. Middlesbrough meanwhile are ticking along nicely under Michael Carrick, sitting on the periphery of the playoffs and a cup run could prove to be a perfect distraction.
This should be another good game, with the atmosphere at St James’s Park set to be electric. 

West Ham United vs Arsenal
The first all-Premier League tie of the round sees Arsenal travel to West Ham. The Hammers have been showing some excellent consistency domestically this season, sitting pretty in the top half of the Premier League table and continuing to fight in Europe too.
Winning a trophy last year will have whetted the appetite for West Ham, with Arsenal surely wanting to follow suit, after a campaign of near misses last year. The Gunners should be able to rotate their squad for this one and if things go their way, they will be confident of booking their place in the last 8.

Chelsea vs Blackburn Rovers
Mauricio Pochettino is beginning to turn the tide at Chelsea, following a string of decent results and he will be eager to continue the recent resurgence against Blackburn Rovers. The blues have been unable to bag a trophy in the past two seasons, a drought by their high standards and how they would love to get stuck into a cup run. For Rovers, this is a free hit on the road at one of the biggest clubs in the Premier League, but Blackburn have been in decent form this season and won’t go down without a fight.

Bournemouth vs Liverpool
Lowly Bournemouth will be looking for a distraction from their Premier League troubles, as they take on high-flying Liverpool. The Cherries are currently bottom of the table, without a win this season and with work to do if they are to stay in the division. Liverpool meanwhile have started the campaign excellently and how Jurgen Klopp would love to win the Carabao Cup once more, having lifted the trophy in 2021.

Everton vs Burnley
Two more Premier League sides go at it, as Everton host Burnley – with both sides also worried about their top flight statuses. The Toffees are slowly starting to click under Sean Dyche, but they have endured a tough 12 months or so and how a Carabao Cup run would appease the fans. Burnley meanwhile are struggling under Vincent Kompany, and they too could find solace in the Carabao Cup, ahead of some difficult upcoming Premier League fixtures.

Ipswich Town vs Fulham
Championship high-flyers Ipswich Town host Fulham, in what should be a highly entertaining encounter at Portman Road. The Tractor Boys have been a revelation in the Championship this season and are dreaming of a return to the Premier League. Fulham meanwhile are another Premier League side in need of a boost and a cup run would provide just that for Marco Silva’s side. This should be a very watchable encounter, between two sides that play excellent football.

Manchester United vs Newcastle United
Two Premier League heavyweights face off for a place in the last 8, in a repeat of the 2023 Carabao Cup final. Manchester United have not hit the heights of last season under Erik ten Hag but they do have a good record in this competition, and they will be confident of picking up a result at home. Newcastle meanwhile will want retribution for their loss in the final last season and they need to end their trophy drought, sooner rather than later.

Keep an eye on Champions-travel.com for upcoming Carabao Cup Fixtures.

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