EFL Cup Tips: Arsenal can seize their chance against depleted Liverpool

UPDATE: The game has been postponed. The first leg will now take place at Anfield on January 13, with the second leg at the Emirates on January 20.

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Arsenal are odds-on to win their Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against Liverpool at the Emirates on Thursday after the visitors asked for the match to be postponed.

The Anfield club closed their first team training ground after several players and staff, including assistant coach Pepijn Lijnders who has been in charge while Jurgen Klopp isolates, returned positive tests for Covid-19.

The EFL are yet to respond to Liveprool’s request and, in the meantime, the Gunners are 1.664/6 to win the match if it goes ahead, with Liverpool out to 5.49/2 and the draw 4.57/2.

We can confirm an application has been submitted for the postponement of Thursday’s Carabao Cup semi-final, first-leg tie with Arsenal due to an escalating number of suspected positive COVID-19 cases and player availability.

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) January 4, 2022

Arsenal have been in good form recently, winning five in a row before Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Man City. But even that reverse arguably showed that they are more capable of competing with top opponents than at any other point in Arteta’s reign.

He won the FA Cup in his first season in charge and this season’s Carabao Cup could represent Arsenal’s best chance of adding more silverware this season.

Opportunity knocks for Gunners

If the first leg against a depleted Liverpool goes ahead, it could be a great opportunity for the Gunners to take control of the tie and, for that reason, it may pay to back them with Bet Builder.

It may also mean that Arsenal are keen to get forward early so we could see a less cagey first leg than is often the case in such ties.

Only one of Liverpool’s last five games – the 1-0 defeat to Leicester – has featured under 3.5 goals and that same match was the only one this season, in any competition, in which they have failed to score.

For that reason, and the fact that Liverpool’s second string usually exceeed expectations, goals at both ends are worth backing on a night when Asenal should be able to give themselves an advantage to take to Anfield for the return leg.

So the Bet Builder wager is to back Arsenal, over 3.5 goals and Yes in Both Teams to score at combined odds of 4.3100/30.