England EFL Cup 29,30. September and 01. October, 2020

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Tottenham vs Chelsea Preview:

Possible starting lineups:

Tottenham:
Hart; Aurier, Alderweireld, Dier, Reguilon; Ndombele, Fernandes; Bergwijn, Alli, Sessegnon; Lucas

Chelsea:
Mendy; Azpilicueta, Tomori, Zouma, Chilwell; Barkley, Jorginho; Hudson-Odoi, Havertz, Mount; Giroud

Tottenham started the new Premier League season with a mixed results. First they lost 1:0 to Everton at home after a disappointing display. In the second round they were excellent and won 5:2 against Southampton at St Mary. It was a "Two-men show". Republic of Korea international Son Heung-min scored four goals, while Harry Kane netted the remaining one and assisted the previous four. This was a morale-boosting victory that also improved the atmosphere in the squad. However, the Spurs were shocked during the weekend as they dropped two points against Newcastle. Lucas Moura had put his team ahead after Kane registered another assist. It was Lucas' first Premier League goal since December 2019, ending a run of 22 games in the Premier League without scoring. The Spurs could have been 4 or 5 goals up if they had taken their chances, though the guests managed to equalize from the penalty spot during the referee time (97th minute) after a controversial handball decision. Tottenham are also involved in the qualifications for UEFA Europe League. The Spurs have eliminated Bulgarian side Lokomotiv Plovdiv and Macedonian outfit Shkendija Tetovo. In the next round of this competition Tottenham should face Maccabi Haifa. That match will come on Thursday, just two days after this game. According to me, Mourinho has to rotate heavily due to a busy schedule. That could mean a debut for left-back Sergio Reguilon, while the likes of Tanguy Ndombele, Toby Alderweireld and Joe Hart could also be involved. Three players (Son Heung-min, Japhet Tanganga and Gareth Bale) are sidelined through injuries.

Chelsea also have mixed results after the first three rounds - one win, one draw and one defeat. The Blues won 3:1 win against Brighton in the first round thanks to goals scored by Jorginho, Reece James and Kurt Zouma. In the second round Chelsea were beaten 2:0 by the reigning champions Liverpool. The goalkeeper Kepa made huge mistakes on both matches and manager Franck Lampard decided it's time to look for a better solution. However, the weekend's game at West Bromwich at The Hawthorns was marked by defenders' errors. A mistake by Marcos Alonso led to the hosts' first goal, while new signing Thiago Silva made another one that allowed the second. Just two minutes later it was 3:0 after the visitors failed to deal with a corner. It was a defensive horror-show in the first 45 minutes. Nevertheless, the second half was a different story. Mason Mount reduced the deficit from 20 yards, substitute Callum Hudson-Odoi set up a tense finale with a stylish finish, before Abraham netted the equalizer in the 93rd minute. Chelsea are the first Premier League side to avoid defeat after trailing by three or more goals at half-time since February 2011. The Blues are successful in the EFL Cup as they beat Barnsley with 6:0 in the third round. The match was marked by Kai Havertz's hat-trick. Lampard will probably make some changes for this one, though he has four days until the next fixture, the Premier League game with Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. Goalkeeper Mendy, who came from Rennes, is expected to make his debut, while some players that didn't start against WBA could be involved here. Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic will probably miss the game due to injuries, while Billy Gilmour is a longer-term absentee.

Tottenham vs Chelsea Prediction:

I think Chelsea are closer to the victory. The key reason for my pick is connect with the actual situation in Tottenham. I believe Mourinho will put the focus on the upcoming Europe League match with Maccabi Haifa. This game is scheduled for Thursday, just two days after this one. According to me, Mourinho will rest his key players from this match.

Tottenham vs Chelsea Pick: Chelsea to win @ 2.03 with Pinnacle

 

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Brighton & Hove Albion vs Manchester United Preview:

Possible starting lineups:

Brighton & Hove Albion:
Steele, Veltman, Burn, Roberts, Bernardo, Pröpper, Sanders, Jahanbakhsh, Groß, Gwargis, Gyökeres

Manchester United:
Henderson, Fosu-Mensah, Bailly, Maguire, Williams, Fred, McTominay, Mata, Beek, Lingard, Ighalo

Brighton & Hove Albion and Manchester United will play for the second time in just few days. As You probably know, Manchester won 3:2 the Saturday's fixture thanks a controversial penalty after the referee Chris Kavanagh had blown to signal the end of the match. Brighton were very good against the favorites, but the woodwork saved the Red Devils several times. That was the second defeat for the Seagulls, who also lost 3:1 to Chelsea in the first round. The only victory was obtained in the second round - a deserved 3:0 win over Newcastle at St James Park. Neal Maupay scored a brace in the opening 7 minutes, while Aaron Connolly completed the job in the 83rd minute of the game. It is clear the results aren't too good, however the reason is the tough schedule. It won't be easier next weekend as Brighton will face co-leaders Everton, one of few sides with maximal effect. Manager Graham Potter need to rebuild the players confidence. In the EFL Cup his players were good and managed to eliminate Portsmouth and Preston in the previous stages of the competition. Of course, United are the toughest challenge. For this match Potter has five injury and suspension worries. Yves Bissouma is banned, while Jose Izquierdo, Florin Andone and Christian Walton are out injured. Finally, Alexis Mac Allister is rated as doubtful due to a groin injury.

Manchester United didn't play in the first round due to late involvement in the Europe League, while suffered an embarrassing 3:1 defeat to Crystal Palace in the second. I already wrote about the third round's clash with Brighton. The Red Devils were completely outplayed, the woodwork saved them five times, but won thanks to late penalty. Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will try to convince the club officials that club need some acquisitions. Interesting, the pressure goes to Ed Woodward's back. Summer transfer window is open until 5 October, so it is not impossible some new players to be bought. Manchester registered an easy 3:0 win against Luton in the previous round of EFL Cup. Three goals were scored by three different players - Juan Mata, Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood. Some of the key players will be rested from this match, starting with goalkeeper De Gea who will be replaced by Dean Henderson. Donny van de Beek, Brandon Williams, Eric Bailly, Fred and Scott McTominay are also expected to start at Amex stadium. Solskjaer has long roster and I rate mentioned players as very good. Axel Tuanzebe and Phil Jones remain sidelined through injuries, while Chris Smalling want to return to Italy where spent the last year. At the end I will mention that United won the League Cup on five occasions - in 1992, 2006, 2009, 2010 and 2017.

Brighton & Hove Albion vs Manchester United Prediction:

Manchester United will make another trip down to the Amex Stadium, this time in the EFL Cup. Both managers - Potter and Solskjaer - are expected to make lot of changes. In situation like that I will give advantage to United. The Red Devils have longer roster and more quality reserve players.

Brighton & Hove Albion vs Manchester United Pick: Manchester United to win @ 1.88 with Pinnacle