League Cups!
Carabao Cup 3rd Round
Man City vs. Wycombe
The Carabao Cup should just be renamed the Man City cup as the holders once again embark on their journey to win their customary title. City just happen to win this trophy regardless of how the season goes. Wycombe sit 5th in League One having won 4 drawn 2 and lost 1. City sit 5th in the Premier League having won 3 drawn 1 and lost 1. City have not had the greatest start to the season especially given how well Chelsea, Liverpool, and United have done but this game should be no more than a formality for Pep and co. Wycombe have nothing to lose and will go into the game fighting.
Watford vs. Stoke City
Watford sit 11th in the Premier League and beat Palace in the last round by a goal to nil. 2 wins and 3 losses to their name in the Premier League. Stoke beat Doncaster in the last round and sit 5th in the Championship. Stoke have won 4 drawn 2 and lost 2 this season in the league. This should be an even game although Watford were the better team last season between the two. The result could go either way but Stoke are in better form.
Fulham vs. Leeds
Fulham beat Birmingham 2-0 in the last round and sit 2nd in the Championship having won 5 drawn 1 and lost 2 in the league so far. It’s been a great start for them this season. Leeds sit 17th in the Premier League this season and are yet to win a game. Leeds are no pushovers but they have some injuries and Fulham are the team in better form. I think Fulham might win this game.
Burnley vs. Rochdale
Burnley sit 19th in the Premier League with no wins to their name. Burnley beat Newcastle on penalties in the last round. Rochdale sit 8th in League Two having won 3 drawn 3 and lost 2 of their games. Rochdale beat Shrewsburg 2-0 in the last round. Burnley should win this game and get their firs proper win of the season as I don’t see Rochdale getting an upset here. Rochdale have nothing to lose though.
Norwich vs. Liverpool
Norwich sit bottom of the Premier League with 5 straight losses but beat Bournemouth 6-0 in the last round as they welcome Liverpool. Liverpool sit 2nd in the Premier League and are looking like a dominant team once again. One can expect plenty of rotation from Klopp and co and while Norwich could cause an upset you can’t look past Liverpool winning this game.
Sheffield United vs. Southampton
Sheffield United sit 15th in the Championship having won 2 drawn 3 and lost 3 this season. The Blades beat Derby County 2-1 in the last round. Southampton sit 15th in the Premier League having drawn 4 and lost 1 this season. Southampton beat Newport 0-8 in the last round. Sheffield United could make life difficult for Southampton but I expect Hassenhutl and team to win this game. Broja to get a few goals.
Brentford vs. Oldham Athletic
Brentford sit 9th in the Premier League and have had a stellar start to their campaign as they take on Oldham who sit 24th in League Two with 1 win 1 draw and 6 losses. Oldham beat Accrington Stanley on penalties in the last round while Brentford beat Forest Green 3-1 in the last round. This should be a comfortable win for Brentford.
Queens Park Rangers vs. Everton
QPR sit 8th in the Championship having won 3 drawn 3 and lost 2 as they take on Everton who sit 6th in the Premier League. QPR beat Oxford 2-0 in the last round while Everton beat Huddersfield 1-2 in the last round. Everton are the better team but Benitez might rotate and with QPR at home they will feel they have a chance of upsetting the odds. Everton should still win.
Brighton vs. Swansea
Brighton have had a stellar start to the Premier League season as they sit 4th and are playing well under Graham Potter. Brighton beat Cardiff 2-0 in the last round. Swansea sit 21st in the Championship and beat Plymouth Argyle 4-1 in the last round. Swansea are no where near their best this season and Brighton by far are the better team. This should be a routine win for Potter and co.
Millwall vs. Leicester
Millwall sit 18th in the Championship and beat Cambridge 3-1 in the last round as they take on Leicester who sit 12th in the Premier League. Leicester have not hit the ground running this season. A trip to Millwall is always tough especially with fans back in the stadium and an upset could be on the cards. Leicester have too much quality though and should at least go into the game as favourites.
Wolverhampton vs. Tottenham
Nuno takes on his former team once again as Wolves welcome Tottenham. Wolves beat Nottingham Forest 4-0 in the last round and sit 16th in the Premier League while Tottenham sit 7th in the Premier League. The two teams have already played each other with Spurs winning 0-1. It was a far from convincing performance though and Spurs have since had back to back 3-0 losses. Wolves have played well but have not managed to score and so have not won games. An interesting fixture that could go either way.
Man United vs. West Ham
United sit 3rd while West Ham sit 8th in the Premier League. West Ham suffered their first loss of the season to United during the weekend while United have already lost a game to Young Boys this season. The Carabao Cup is probably Ole’s easiest path to a trophy this season and being at home they should win this game. Antonio will be eligible for this game and West Ham will want some redemption after their result at the weekend. A fun game is expected but United are favourites.
Arsenal vs. Wimbeldon
Arsenal sit 13th in the Premier League and have two successive wins to their name as they take on Wimbledon who sit 7th in League One. Wimbledon beat Northampton 1-0 in the last round but Arsenal should be a step too far for them.
La Liga MW 6
Atletico travel to Getafe, Sevilla play Valencia, Villarreal entertain Elche, Real Madrid welcome Mallorca, and Barcelona travel to Cadiz. La Liga continues to chug on during the week and it is looking like an entertaining title race. Every team bar Real is looking to bounce back after draws during the weekend.
Serie A MW 5
Inter travel to Fiorentina, Atalanta take on Sassuolo, Juventus travel to Spezia, Milan entertain Venezia, Napoli travel to Sampdoria, Lazio take on Torino, and Roma welcome Udinese. The rest of the teams are playing catchup to Inter and Milan while the big question is whether Juventus can finally win a game.
Ligue 1 MW 7
Monaco welcome St.Etienne, Lille take on Reims, PSG travel to Metz, Lyon welcome Troyes, and Marseille take on Angers. Ligue 1 seems like a foregone conclusion at the moment. PSG are clear and the challengers are all abysmally poor.
Park The Bus 