The first of the four quarter-finals
will be an all-Premier League affair, as Aston Villa play hosts to Liverpool at
Villa Park, hoping to get past a much-changed Reds side. Football fanatics from
around the world can obtain Premier League Tickets online to enjoy its
stunning performances.
Aston Villa has seen their form the nosedive in the last few weeks, having failed to win six of their last seven
games dating back to the start of November. In the Carabao Cup, however, Dean
Smith’s men have been rather impressive, with their gritty 2-1 win over Wolves
in the Round of 16 notable among the three victories so far.
Liverpool, on the other hand, has
been on a roll in domestic football this season, with only two sides managing
to deny them an outright win in 90 minutes. One such result was the 5-5 draw in
the previous round of the Carabao Cup, wherein the Reds prevailed on penalties.
Against Aston Villa, though,
Liverpool will essentially be lining up with their under-23 players, after
being put in a tricky situation due to their participation at the Club World
Cup in Qatar. The first-team regulars are all set to begin their quest to
become world champions on Wednesday, meaning a considerably weaker side will
take the field at Villa Park.
Liverpool and Aston Villa have
already locked horns this season, with the Reds coming from behind to prevail
2-1 last month in the Premier League. Ahead of the latest meeting between
the two sides, The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the Carabao Cup
encounter.
Team News & Tactics
Aston Villa
Dean Smith has a few pressing injury
concerns hampering his preparations for the Carabao Cup quarter-finals meeting
with Liverpool. On Tuesday, the Aston Villa manager is likely to be without
four first-team players, with Tyrone Ming’s major absentee.
Connor Hourihane (knock) and Keinan
Davis (thigh), meanwhile, are fighting a race against time to be fit enough to
start against Liverpool. One confirmed absentee, though, is second-choice
goalkeeper Jed Steer, who would likely have started the game, if fit.
With Tom Heaton expected to be
rested, third-choice keeper Orjan Nyland should get a rare chance to impress,
lining up in the Aston Villa goal. A number of other fringe players are likely
to start as well, with Ezri Konsa and Neil Taylor getting an opportunity in
defense.
Konsa should have Kortney Hause as
his partner at the heart of the defense, with Ahmed Elmo Hamady completing the
numbers in the backline, starting as Villa’s right-back. With Hourihane a
doubt, Henri Lansbury could start once again, with Douglas Luiz sitting at the
base of the three-man midfield.
Liverpool
Liverpool will not just have a change
with respect to the players taking the field against Aston Villa, but also in
the dugout. With Jurgen Klopp in Qatar with the first-team regulars for the
Club World Cup, under-23 manager Neil Critchley will be in-charge on Tuesday.
Caoimhe Kelleher will line up between
the sticks, as is customary for Carabao Cup fixtures. In front of him, there
will be a few players who have previously taken the field for the first-team
this season.
Ki-Jana Hoever will be deployed on
the right side of the Liverpool defense, with Tony Gallacher likely to start on
the opposite flank, seeing as Yasser Larouci is a major doubt. Sepp van den
Berg is a certainty at the heart of the defense, where he is likely to be
partnered by Morgan Boyes.
Up ahead in midfield, Pedro
Chiaravalle will be the man under the spotlight, with the 22-year-old being
tasked with providing the creative thrust from a deep-lying position in the
middle of the park. Herbie Kane and Isaac Christie-Davies ought to accompany
Chiaravalle.
The big concern is attacked surrounds
the fitness of Rhian Brewster, who has been labeled as a doubt due to an ankle
injury. Brewster is likely to start, though, leading the line for Liverpool,
with Harvey Elliott and Luis Longstaff completing the three-pronged attack.
Key Stats
Tuesday will be the second instance
when Aston Villa and Liverpool will be meeting in the League Cup, with the
other coming at the same stage in the 2002-03 season. Liverpool won 4-3 on
their way to winning the competition that season.
Aston Villa is looking to reach the
semi-finals of the League Cup for the first time since the 2012-13 campaign;
the last Englishman to lead the Villains to the Last Four stage was John
Gregory in the 1999-2000 season.
Aston Villa midfielder Henri Lansbury
has more assists than any other player in this season’s EFL Cup (five), despite
playing only two matches in the competition.
Player to Watch
Harvey Elliott
While Carabao Cup has always been
seen by Jurgen Klopp as a breeding ground for youngsters, Tuesday’s
quarter-final clash still feels as if the entire under-23 team will face Aston
Villa. In such a scenario, Harvey Elliott becomes a senior figure in the
lineup, having featured in the competition twice already.
The onus will, thus, be on Elliott to
use his experience from the previous two rounds in order to guide an
inexperienced side past Aston Villa. A true test of Elliott’s character and it
will be interesting to see if he can thrive under added pressure.
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