A Betting Preview of the EFL Cup Semi-Finals: Who Wins the First Legs?

All is set for the semi-finals of the EFL Cup. Four semi-finalists – Arsenal, Bristol City, Chelsea, and Manchester City – will be featuring in the semi-final of the competition also known as the Carabao Cup.

Since the 4^th Round, the competition has seen series of exciting clashes and surprising exits. Bristol City has been the surprise package of the competition so far, after eliminating Crystal Palace and then slaying the giants in Red in the quarter-finals, Manchester United.

For Arsenal, an extra-time win over Norwich helped them survive till now. Chelsea’s run has been like that of a reigning Premier League champ. The wins may not have been beautiful but they have been good enough to earn them a spot in the semis.

For Manchester City, a brave hero called Claudio Bravo has been fully responsible for how far they’ve come in the competition. Two penalty shoot-outs and Bravo has come out on top.

Manchester City vs. Bristol City

The table topper will be hosting the giant slayers in Bristol City this week. For both teams, there’s a lot at stake. Starting with the men in sky blue, this is an opportunity for Pep Guardiola to win his first trophy as Man. City manager.

He endured a trophy-less first season and has already spent too much for a second one. For all their record-breaking performances in the Premier League, the Citizens have not won any of their last games in this competition, with both games ending in a draw.

With the semi-finals set to be played over two legs, away goals may prove to be important. Speaking of goals, the Bristol City men have showed that they’re not scared to test the defense of the big boys. They scored four against Crystal Palace and found a way to score two against Manchester United.

Chelsea vs. Arsenal

A repeat of the encounter that produced a fascinating 2-2 draw earlier this year. Both sides have found a way to make sure that encounters like this produce plenty of goals.

For Chelsea in this competition, their last two games produced Over 2,5 Goals, with both games ending in a 2-1 score line. More interesting is the fact that both of these games were played at the Stamford Bridge.

For Arsenal, the Nottingham Forrest defeat will still be very much fresh in their minds as they go into this one. Back-to-back defeats will not be too good for Arsene Wenger and his boys. Thus, they will be looking to make the most of this encounter.

They were able to score in their last two games in this competition.

As we look forward to these two encounters, which of the teams do you think will win the first legs? Leave us a comment and let us know what you think.