Ahead of a fascinating midweek of the Carabao Cup quarter-finals, Sky Sports writers round up the reasons why each of the remaining eight teams need a win to continue their hopes of success.
Quarter-final draw
Wednesday December 18
Thursday December 19
Can Arsenal use the Carabao Cup to start their trophy dynasty?
Mikel Arteta has taken Arsenal to new heights, but apart from a shock FA Cup win in his first half of the season, the Gunners have little to show for their progress.
Could just one cup win be enough to give Arsenal the swagger and confidence to achieve more?
As Pep Guardiola's assistant at Manchester City, Arteta saw how useful a season-long Carabao Cup trophy lift could be. City won four editions of this competition in a row and backed that up with three league titles later that season.
Arsenal are nowhere near that level yet, certainly not from a cup perspective. Since the summer of 2022, the Gunners have never progressed beyond the fourth round of the FA Cup, nor the fourth round of the Carabao Cup. They also lost two of their three knockout games in Europe.
Wednesday's cup tie with Crystal Palace could be important for another reason: the possibility of rotation. Forwards like Gabriel Jesus, Raheem Sterling and Ethan Nwaneri struggle for minutes on end, but a moment of attacking inspiration can loosen the shackles.
With successive missteps in the Premier League, Arteta may need this competition to lighten the mood.Sam Blitz
Do Palace have a better chance of hurting Arsenal in the cup?
Crystal Palace play a double-header with Arsenal this week and the way Oliver Glasner plays in it will be intriguing.
The Eagles took a point against Man City in their last home game and achieved positive results against Man Utd, Tottenham and Newcastle. They were also not far away from a point over Liverpool. With Palace only four points above the relegation zone, every point earned in that competition is valuable.
But Glasner may prioritize the cup encounter with the Gunners this week. Mikel Arteta is likely to field a number of fringe players at the Emirates and while Palace's recent record at that stadium is poor, they could take their chances if they adopt a similar counter-attacking plan to the one that earned them the most points at Brighton on Sunday.
Glasner – winner of the Europa League and runners-up of the German Cup in his previous role at Eintracht Frankfurt – knows how to navigate a cup tie and, with Palace's recent performances suggesting they need to get out of the danger zone, a significant cup win in their London club. rivals would be something to cherish in what has been a largely difficult and frustrating start to the season. Peter Smith
Another step towards ending seventy years of pain for Newcastle?
It has been almost seventy years since Newcastle last lifted a major trophy. They will get another chance to mount a challenge to end their barren run when they take on Brentford at St James' Park. They bounced back from their harrowing defeat to the Bees by beating Leicester last time out.
Newcastle was on the brink of collapse under Eddie Howe. A team of players who can compete with the very best in the Premier League, and who challenged themselves in Europe two seasons ago, but have not yet found that next level.
The Magpies finished second in 2023 when they were defeated by Manchester United, but the proverbial next step could once again await them.
Alexander Isak, Bruno Guimaraes, Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali all starred as they ended their winless run against Leicester and Howe will rely on them again to end their run of seven decades without major honors as they close out the Carabao Cup. William Bitibiri
Cup victory is Brentford's best chance for Europe
Surprisingly, this is not the furthest Brentford have gone in this competition, with the Bees reaching the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup in the Covid-affected 2020-2021 season.
Thomas Frank has always taken the cup competitions seriously and there is a reason for that.
Brentford know that securing a top-seven finish in European football is a major challenge, especially if they continue to struggle in the Premier League, so the cups are the Bees' best chance to progress to the next level.
The west Londoners, with one point to go in seven away games in the league, will need to put in a better performance at Newcastle if they want to reach the last four again.
But Frank's side must remember that they go into Wednesday's cup tie not only on equal terms with Newcastle (the two teams are level on points in the English top flight), but also with a psychological advantage after the 4-2 victory at Gtech Community Stadium earlier this year. month.Sam Blitz
Slot wants to keep Liverpool's Big Mo running on the south coast
Liverpool travel to Southampton in an odd position, leading both the Premier League and the new UEFA Champions League standings, having lost just once in all competitions this season, but needing a win after a draw in the latter two league games to lose the league. initiative in the title race.
Sure, there's no panic in the Reds' ranks at the moment, but you get the sense that a shock turnaround on the south coast on Wednesday night against a team with nothing to lose under interim head coach Simon Rusk could have a destabilizing effect on the title favorites. .
Conversely, if the holders can advance to another semi-final – it would be their fifth in this competition since 2016 – the momentum is maintained – or 'Big Mo' as they say in the US – and they go for Arne Slot during a hectic period. period in his yet remarkable debut campaign at Anfield.Rich Morgan
Could the Reds victory be a springboard for Saints' survival at the top level?
Some Southampton fans may view Wednesday's quarter-final with Liverpool as an unwanted distraction as the club battles relegation from the Premier League, but a shock win over Liverpool at St Mary's could in fact be a catalyst for an unlikely survival bid.
Certainly the Saints draw level after a morale-sapping 5-0 home defeat to Tottenham on Sunday that saw manager Russell Martin lose his job while Simon Rusk temporarily took charge on the south coast.
However, Southampton came close to beating the Reds recently when they met in the league at St Mary's, with the visitors having to come from behind to win late in a five-goal thriller, while they will also face a team due to injury has been affected. who have failed to win either of their last two summits.
And while Rusk may have very little time before the midweek visit to Liverpool, the interim head coach will have a group of players determined to respond to Sunday's 5-0 thrashing.
“We have to be better. It's that simple,” centre-back Taylor Harwood-Bellis told Premier League Productions:
“We have guys there who are willing to risk everything. It sounds a little misleading, but we have what it takes in this locker room.” [to stay up]. We won't stop believing.” Rich Morgan
Amorim can follow in the footsteps of his predecessors with a victory in the Carabao Cup
Ruben Amorim has continually reiterated the need for time and patience, but like all fanbases, spectators will grow restless in their desire to see their team lift silverware. It would be harsh to judge Amorim on his early trophy prospects after being appointed United boss in November, but it feels like pressure that Amorim will be willing to embrace.
Erik ten Hag claimed the Carabao Cup at the first time of asking, but was constantly questioned about his side's identity, failing to instill a discernible style during his years at the club. Hoping to steer United into a new era, Amorim may be judged more on how quickly his team can adapt to his philosophy in the short to medium term, rather than the silverware, but that doesn't mean the Carabao Cup an opportunity to begin his reign. in the best possible way.
Jose Mourinho, a mentor to Amorim, also claimed the Carabao Cup in his first season at Old Trafford. Mourinho, a four-time winner of the competition, recognized the importance of the first trophy win in setting the tone for the season ahead. A win at Tottenham gives Amorim the chance to follow the proven example of his predecessor, William Bitibiri
Spurs must have a successful season with a win over Man Utd
Ange Postecoglou always wins silverware in his second season. How Tottenham fans would love to continue this run and see their long wait for trophy success finally come to an end this season.
The Europa League and the FA Cup are possibilities, but this opportunity, to reach the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup with a win against Manchester United at home, cannot be missed.
Spurs' thrashing of Southampton came at the right time and snapped a five-match winless streak. But a win on home ground – where they have played four frustrating games in a row without success – could significantly put the mood back on a more positive footing.
Of course, a defeat could turn the situation in the other direction. And with Liverpool coming to town on Sunday, this looks like it could be a decisive week for the direction of Spurs' season. Peter Smith
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