Carabao Cup betting tips: Semi-final first leg previews

We’ve reached the semi-final stage of the Carabao Cup. Outright favourites Arsenal host Newcastle in the first of the first legs on Tuesday, before second-in-the-winner-market Liverpool travel to Tottenham the following evening. 

The Reds are the holders of this competition, having beaten Chelsea at Wembley last year, and lead the way in both the Premier League and Champions League. It will be hard for any of the three other teams to stop Liverpool.

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Having not won a trophy since 2008, the motivation for Spurs to beat them is clear. But then that’s nothing on Newcastle, whose last domestic success was way back in 1955. All four clubs will be fired up for these ties. 

Arsenal vs Newcastle betting tips

Semi-final first legs are traditionally cagey, tight affairs. Of the two ties this year, this is the far likelier to follow that pattern.

Arsenal won 4-1 the last time Newcastle visited the Emirates Stadium. Kai Havertz was among the scorers that day, so Mikel Arteta will hope he recovers from the illness that kept him out of the 1-1 draw with Brighton on Saturday. 

Whether he returns or not, it feels likely that the Arsenal manager picks a stronger side than he did in the earlier rounds. Eddie Howe has tended to go strong with his team regardless – Joelinton has started all four Carabao Cup matches this season, while the likes of Bruno Guimaraes and Anthony Gordon have at least appeared in them all. 

The Gunners’ 4-1 victory last season was the only one of the last six meetings of these clubs which saw either both teams score or more than two goals. 

With five clean sheets in their last six home matches, Arteta’s men can be confident of keeping the Magpies under wraps. As Howe has steered Newcastle to three wins over Arsenal from four attempts at St James’ Park, a low scoring match in north London will suit him too. 

Scoreline prediction

Arsenal 1-0 Newcastle (15/2 with BetMGM)

FIRST’s top tip:

Under 2.5 goals (11/10 with Mr Play)

Tottenham vs Liverpool betting tips

It feels like this could end in any kind of scoreline you care to imagine. It’s less than three weeks since Liverpool won at Tottenham 6-3, with that margin flattering Spurs if anything. 

Ange Postecoglou also has a squad riddled with illness and injuries, whereas the Reds have almost everybody available for selection. 

The main question for Arne Slot is how strong he chooses to go with his line-up, with the likes of Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk traditionally playing very little League Cup football. But the strength in depth available to Slot is enviable to most clubs. 

He could bring Harvey Elliott and Diogo Jota in for starts, for instance, and still see his side win a typically high scoring game. 

Our selection paid out in four of the last five meetings, and with Postecoglou’s side only having one way of playing (wide open and with reckless abandonment) it’s hard to see any other outcome. 

The only possible reason to think otherwise is that Slot might want to keep things tight having seen his side ship two-or-more goals in five of their last eight league matches. A clash between the top two scoring sides in the Premier League makes that highly unlikely to occur though. 

Scoreline prediction

Tottenham 1-3 Liverpool (10/1 with Spreadex)

FIRST’s top tip:

Liverpool win and over 2.5 goals (20/21 with Matchbook)