Two London rivals meet in the last 8 of the Carabao Cup with a place in the semi-finals up for grabs. Arsenal have fallen off the pace in the Premier League and Arsene Wenger is sure to be targeting a trophy to appease his fans whilst David Moyes has managed to get West Ham firing once again and will be eager to progress towards a trophy for the Hammers.
Carabao Cup – Emirates Stadium – Tuesday 19th December 2017 – 19:45 UK Time
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Draw Best Odd of: 18/5 at Unibet |
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Arsenal
Newcastle UnitedArsenal
Arsenal have endured a difficult spell in the Premier League –a home defeat to Manchester United has been backed up by draws with Southampton & West Ham which have left the Gunners languishing in 7th place in the league table. Victories over Norwich and Doncaster in the previous rounds have given Arsene Wenger opportunities to play his youngsters and fringe players – an approach he may well adopt here. Olivier Giroud has struggled for Premier League game time but is featuring heavily in cup competitions and will be keen to add to his tally of 7 this term.
West Ham United
The Hammers are beginning to show the sort of resolve to steer clear of relegation and only sit in the relegation zone on goal difference. Carabao Cup wins over Cheltenham, Bolton and a famous 3-2 comeback win over Tottenham at Wembley were some of Slavan Bilic’s very few high moments before his sacking in October. Andre Ayew scored 2 in the comeback win over Spurs and is West Ham’s top scorer this season with 5 goals.
Head to Head
Arsenal have the superior head to head record between the sides, leading with 63 wins to Newcastle’s 34 with another 39 games between the sides ending as draws. Their most recent meeting was only a week ago – a 0-0 draw at the London Olympic Stadium where the Hammers frustrated the Gunners for long periods – there has to be a result on the night in the Carabao Cup however.
Odds and Predictions
West Ham will be desperate to keep things tight and won’t afford Arsenal any space.
Under 2.5 goals in the game looks a strong bet at 13/10 with Coral.
Olivier Giroud is a focal point for Arsenal up front and will be a real menace for the West Ham defence.
Olivier Giroud to score anytime looks a fantastic bet at 1/1 with Uni Bet.
West Ham may not be prioritising this game with Premier League safety their priority and a congested festive programme ahead.
Arsenal to win the game is the banker bet at 4/7 with Paddy Power.
West Ham will look to frustrate Arsenal for as long as possible but the hosts’ possession football could eventually take its toll.
The match to be a draw at half time and Arsenal to be winning at full time is great value at 3/1 with Bet 365.
Score Prediction
Arsenal 2 – 0 West Ham United – 15/2 with Bet Victor.
Top Betting Tip
Arsenal need to appease their restless fans and a cup semi-final would cheer them up. Arsenal to win the game to nil looks a strong bet at 2/1 with Betfred.