Carling Cup betting

It’s been a week of shocks in the Carling Cup, although it should probably come as no surprise to see big Premier League teams go crashing out when they play weakened sides in this competition. It was certainly the case with Liverpool on Wednesday night when Roy Hodgson fielded a youthful side against Northampton and it was the League Two side who went through on penalties.

It was a similar story the evening before when another Merseyside team lost to a team many positions lower than them in the football league ladder. Everton had been no bigger than 2/5 to win at Griffin Park, although the Toffees are one of several Premier League teams to leave the competition at this stage.

With Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City, Blackburn Rovers, Chelsea, Bolton Wanderers and Sunderland also out of the Carling Cup, holders Manchester United are now 9/4 chances with William Hill to retain this trophy after winning 5-2 at Scunthorpe. It had appeared as though a potential shock could be on the cards when the Iron struck to go 1-0 in front, although the Red Devils rallied to win comfortably.

Arsenal have also been slashed in the betting, with Coral going 3/1 about the youthful Gunners going all the way and Arsene Wenger actually played a half-decent team that won 4-1 after extra-time at Tottenham on Tuesday night. The sponsors would like nothing better than to see them play Manchester United in the final.

However, sometimes the draw doesn’t work out like that and Aston Villa now have a chance to win some long-awaited silverware after so many Premier League clubs have gone crashing out. Gerard Houllier won’t believe his eyes that the way has been paved clear and we should remember that the Villans reached the Carling Cup final last season. They are 9/1 with Coral to go one better this time around.

Midlands rivals Birmingham City will also fancy their chances of a long run in this competition after beating MK Dons on Tuesday and the Blues are a best price 16/1 with Boylesports to win the Carling Cup, while West Brom beat Manchester City on Wedneday and can now be backed at 33/1 with Stan James to be the successful team from the west Midlands. Wolves are also still in the cup and they are 22/1 with Boylesports.

West Ham United produced a surprise when winning at Sunderland and Ladbrokes go 25/1 that they give their supporters something to cheer about this term, while north-east rivals Newcastle go from strength to strength after a win at Chelsea and the Magpies are a 16/1 chance with Stan James. Stoke City are 20/1 with Boylesports and Wigan are the other top flight team remaining in the Carling Cup, with the Latics on offer at 25/1 with Blue Square.

Paddy Power are again leading the way when it comes to sports betting and here is a great offer for the forthcoming Carling Cup matches this week. It is not often that you see a 2 For 1 bet offer, but that is exactly what the popular online bookmaker is offering. The big fixture of the Carling Cup this week is the North London derby of Tottenham v Arsenal. The football betting promotion at Paddy Power is this, when you place a Correct Score bet on the Spurs v Arsenal match, then you will get a FREE Correct Score bet on Manchester United’s trip to Scunthorpe on Wednesday. How often can you get your hands on a totally free bet? This Paddy Power offer really stands out for your football betting during the week, and the goodies do not end there. Over in Italy, there is a Lazio v AC Milan match being played on Wednesday, and again if you have a Correct Score bet on that, you can pick up a Free bet on the Juventus v Palermo game. Likewise, if you have a Correct Score punt on the AC Milan v Genoa match next Saturday, then you get a Free bet on the Roma v Inter Milan. These are some seriously good 2 For 1 betting offers to be taken advantage of, and not only that, every time there is a big football match, the Paddy Power blog, which makes for a very good entertaining read incidentally, will give away some excellent prizes such as replica shirts and more free bets!

Just to make things even better, there is an half time saver accumulator offer which Paddy Power run, and this covers your lost stake on an accumulator if it is winning at half time, but loses at full time. One of the most popular Paddy Power features is their Last Man Standing competition. Every week a tournament is held which you can enter (you must be a funded account holder) then you can test your powers of prediction my naming one correct outcome of a Premier League match each week. Each tournament has a different jackpot, and the Paddy Power Last Man Standing promotion, really is one of the stand out football events in online betting. If you are not an account holder at Paddy Power, then there is no reason to worry or panic, because getting signed up is quick and easy, and when you do sign up for a new betting account with Paddy Power, then you can get yourself a Free £50 Bet. The online bookmaker will match your first bet on a new account after signing up and depositing funds. All this, combined with some of the most competitive football betting prices available, makes for a great package and a great site where to go and do your sports betting.

So, the old bitter rivalry of Spurs v Arsenal gets renewed and there have been some cracking encounters between the two sides in the league cup in recent years. One betting trend which stands out between recent fixtures between the two, is that there are not many away wins picked up, so that will put the ball firmly in the Tottenham court. Another thing which may swing the balance of the tie, is the fact that Spurs will probably put out bit of a stronger side than Arsene Wenger will do for the visitors. Arsene, by tradition field a young team for the Carling Cup, and Tottenham could be in a good position to push forward in the competition, even though they have new distractions of their own this season by playing in the Champions League. Spurs are having a few defensive problems, with Michael Dawson, William Gallas, Vedran Corluka and Ledley King not turning out for the match, but Spurs boss Harry Redknapp has thrown down the gauntlet a bit, by naming some quality players such as Roman Pavlyuchenko and Niko Kranjcar in the starting line up. So Tottenham will be able to field a more competitive, more recognisable side than Arsenal will, but Wenger has a lot of faith in his youth system and will expect nothing less than a win from the, even if he is throwing them to the lions in the hotbed of their fiercest rivals. However, one factor which could influence your football betting, is that Arsenal are a little lightweight up front with injuries to the likes of Theo Walcott and Robin Van Persie. Spearheading the young Gunners could well be Marouane Chamakh who has had a great start to his new career at Arsenal.

Spurs to win: 6/5 at Paddy Power
Draw: 5/2 at Ladbrokes
Arsenal to win: 21/10 at Bet365

So, even though a high betting percentage is still leaning towards Arsenal winning through, Tottenham really should be favourites and stand a great chance of getting one over on their rivals. Spurs have had decent success in the Carling Cup of late, reaching the final twice in the past three years.

Carling Cup Outright Odds
Chelsea: 11/2 at Stan James
Man Utd: 11/2 at Totesport
Man City: 13/2 at ExtraBet
Liverpool: 9/1 at Boylesports
Everton: 12/1 at Coral
Spurs: 14/1 at SkyBet
Arsenal: 16/1 at Totesport

If you want to see the action, then you can head to Bet365 who are showing a live stream of the match on their website. This means that it is the ideal place to go to in order to follow live in-play betting for the big match. The live stream is free, you just need to be a funded account holder, and you can also catch the Scunthorpe v Man Utd Carling Cup fixture on Wednesday as well at Bet365. There is time to open an account and get funded if you want to watch and bet live at the same time with one of the most highly recommended bookmakers. When you do, you will also be eligible to pick up one of the most generous welcome bonuses of all online bookmakers, a cool £200 free bet as the bookie will match your deposit.

Carling Cup Betting Promotion: The Scunthorpe v Man Utd match can be watched online at Bet365 on Wednesday night. The online bookmaker is streaming the match, and so you can enjoy watching the match while you make the most of their excellent live in-play services. Being one of the most popular online bookmakers available, Bet365 offer £200 in free bets when you open a new account with them and make a deposit. You will need a funded account to gain access to their live streaming, which is also showing the Spurs v Arsenal Carling Cup clash on Tuesday night. With great football promotions and live streaming to take advantage of, there is still time to sign up and enjoy watching live Carling Cup action right at your fingertips.

There are plenty of football betting opportunities to look at midweek, after all the excitement of the weekend’s Premier League action. The top clubs in England make their entry into the Carling Cup competition, as defending Champions Manchester United head off to Scunthorpe to try and book their passage into the next round. With the highlight of the round being the North London derby clash between Spurs and Arsenal on Tuesday, most of the higher profile action kicks off on Wednesday, when Chelsea, Man Utd, Liverpool and Man City all take to the field in their respective fixtures.

Spurs to win: 11/8 at SkyBet
Draw: 5/2 at Ladbrokes
Arsenal to win: 2/1 at 888Sport

The Carling Cup has become something of a run out for the youth and reserve teams for most of the Premier League clubs which are involved in matches on the European front. Really only Chelsea field a near full strength team in the competition, but it was Manchester United and Aston Villa who played their way through to the Wembley Final last year. United lifted the trophy then in a controversial match, and it remained their only piece of silverware for the season. Now they have to travel to Scunthorpe, and more likely than not, Alex Ferguson will be playing a much weakened side, and after ringing the changes in the Champions League and being held to a 0-0 draw by Scottish Champions Rangers, what can Fergie expect from Scunthorpe? Well the Championship side aren’t going great guns and are sitting in the bottom half of the table. They have won three of their seven matches, having scored nine and conceded eight. Scunthorpe came through the last round in an eventful second half against Sheffield Wednesday, and ran out 4-2 winners in the end. Even with a weakened side and home advantage, you will still expect Man Utd to run out winners at the end of the day. Can Scunthorpe upset the odds and grab even a draw? Well, the bookmakers don’t really see much hope of that happening, and surely Alex Ferguson is too canny to let this one slide.

Scunthorpe to win: 4/9 at SkyBet
Draw: 7/2 at Bet365
Man Utd to win: 4/9 at Ladbrokes

Chelsea look to have a comfortable draw against Premier League newcomers Newcastle at Stamford Bridge. With the Blues having a cracking start to the season, even without John Terry and Frank Lampard for a fair share of the time, they are going strong, firing goals in left right and centre. The Carling Cup for Newcastle could be a distraction that they don’t really want as they will want to concentrate on surviving in England’s top flight for another season. Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti will be looking ahead to Chelsea’s real first test of the season when they play Man City next weekend in the league, but even if they aren’t at fully full strength then Chelsea should still dominate proceedings and get comfortable passage through to the next round.

Chelsea to win: 2/7 at Stan James
Draw: 9/2 at BetFred
Newcastle to win: 11/1 at Boylesports

Manchester City, who has a squad so deep of quality that they could field two pretty solid teams in the Premier League, will also be entertained by an all Premier League clash on Wednesday. Roberto Mancini will probably be tinkering his line up again as they travel south to the midlands to take on West Brom. There have been signs of stuttering by Man City, as they have drawn a couple of matches which they should have won, and there are perhaps hints that Mancini doesn’t really know what his best team is. Still, they are a quality squad, which should win out at the end of the day. As for West Brom, they are trying to find their way in the Premier League again, and boss Roberto Di Matteo still has much work to do. While the Carling Cup has generally offered the chance of a bit of silverware to teams outside of the big four, the Baggies are in that position of knowing there is a long and trying season ahead in the league for them. Will they go for this one with a strong team in the hope of an upset, or conserve their energies for the Premier League? Either way, Manchester City will go as strong favourites.

West Brom to win: 18/5 at BetFair
Draw: 23/10 at BetFair
Manchester City to win: 4/7 at BetFair

Where next for Liverpool. Floundering in the Premier League with just one win in their opening five matches, and just five points to their name. More than ever now, the Carling Cup offers a glimmer of hope for the Kop and new boss Roy Hodgson, who is already feeling the stresses, will probably go after it. Liverpool will probably take any highlight of a final right now from the position they are in. Hodgson rested key players for their recent Europa League match against Bucharest, and following their league defeat against Man Utd on Sunday, Hodgson will probably do the same on Wednesday night. A weakened side for Liverpool, given the strength of their opponents, should really be enough. Northampton are down near the foot of League Two with seven points from their seven league games. If this was a reverse fixture then you could expect a tougher battle for Liverpool who look a little short in creativity in the middle, especially if their first team players are rested. But at Anfield, it should be a night of rare optimism for the home fans.

Liverpool to win: 2/9 at William Hill
Draw: 11/2 at Totesport
Northampton to win: 16/1 at Victor Chandler

Full List of Carling Cup Third Round Fixtures
Aston Villa v Blackburn
Birmingham v MK Dons
Brentford v Everton
Burnley v Bolton
Chelsea v Newcastle
Liverpool v Northampton
Millwall v Ipswich
Peterborough v Swansea
Portsmouth v Leicester
Scunthorpe v Man Utd
Stoke v Fulham
Sunderland v West Ham
Tottenham v Arsenal
Wolverhampton v Notts County
West Brom v Man City
Wigan v Preston

Carling Cup Betting Tip. While the Spurs v Arsenal fixture is a little close to call convincingly, there are plenty of matches here which have produced bankers. These Carling Cup fixtures are ideal for building accumulators for football betting, and there should be some great odds to find in order to do so. The Burnley v Bolton match is fascinating, along with Villa v Blackburn. These are matches which will call for close odds and therefore decent value to pick up in an accumulator.

Carling Cup Outright Odds
Chelsea: 11/2 at Stan James
Man Utd: 11/2 at Bet365
Man City: 13/2 at ExtraBet
Liverpool: 9/1 at Boylesports
Everton: 12/1 at Coral
Tottenham: 14/1 at Bet365
Arsenal: 16/1 at Totesport
Aston Villa: 18/1 at Ladbrokes
Sunderland: 40/1 at Blue Square

Bet365 will be your destination for Carling Cup betting for Spurs v Arsenal. Why? Because being one of the leaders in live streaming, you can catch the action live for this event on their website. Yes, Bet356 are showing a live stream of the Spurs v Arsenal Carling Cup match, and this means that it is perfect for following with live in play betting. This is what makes Bet365 one of the market leaders for online sports betting, and all you need to have is a funded account to watch the action and bet live on it with the online bookmaker. If you do not have an account with Bet365 yet, then there is some more good news for you, as new customers can get up to £200 in free bets when they open a new account and deposit funds. A generous welcome offer, a vast sports book, great live in-play betting and live streaming of the football. What more can you ask for?

Nothing quite like a North London derby to stoke the fires of a cup competition. Tottenham and Arsenal go head to head at White Hart Lane on Tuesday night, in the pick of the week’s matches. With both teams involved in the Champions League this year, it will be interesting to see just how much both managers go for this one. Naturally Arsene Wenger will use a lot of his younger players for the match, as that is generally the route he goes, as he uses the Carling Cup for big match experience. But what will Spurs boss Harry Redknapp do? The Champions League can take its toll on players and management, so will he follow in the shoes of Wenger and rest a lot of his star players? It is unlikely that you will see a full side from Tottenham, even at home, as Redknapp won’t want to risk any more injuries in the Carling Cup which will effect their efforts in the league and in Europe. Still, that really doesn’t take the excitement out of this game, because when younger players come in, the matches are usually a bit more up tempo because the guys on the pitch are trying to prove a point to their respective managers. The last time the two met in the league cup, it was quite an memorable encounter.

Spurs to win: 11/8 at SkyBet
Draw: 5/2 at Ladbrokes
Arsenal to win: 2/1 at 888Sport

Back in 2008, the two sides played out a 1-1 draw at Arsenal, but then in the replay, Tottenham ran riot in a 5-1 victory at White Hart Lane. Both teams shared the spoils of points on their home grounds in the Premier League last season, so there probably won’t be much to choose between the two sides for your Carling Cup betting. In 2007 the two sides also met in the Carling Cup, and again they played out a draw in the first leg, so a draw may well be worth backing here on Tuesday. You will have Arsenal’s experienced youngsters, if that is not too much of a contradiction, against Spurs on their home ground. Looking at head to head stats from history for matches at White Hart Lane between the two sides, Spurs have only won 40% of all matches, while Arsenal have a pretty good record with 31% of wins there. You can expect goals, as Spurs have a 1.68 average goals per game against the Gunners at home, while Arsenal are not far behind with an goal per game average of 1.44 at White Hart Lane. Out of all matches played in all competitions at all venues, Arsenal do have a big edge with nearly 42% of victories out of their 163 meetings.

So who will have the better strength in depth? If this is what you are thinking in terms of which direction to go in for your Carling Cup football betting for this one, then you have to look at Arsenal. Time and time again they have proven just how well their youth system works, when they show and beat teams in the Carling Cup. When you think of Arsenal, you always picture their young players dropping into the first team seamlessly. When you look at players like Theo Walcott, Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey and Gael Clichy then you can see why they have always done so well with their younger players. You look at the Tottenham squad in comparison and you don’t really see the same amount of quality in depth coming through. Sure enough, Spurs are on the rise under Harry Redknapp, and this will be a great chance now to do what Arsenal and so many other clubs do in this competition, give youngsters experience. Does this devalue the match? Well, there are arguments for an against, but with higher priorities for both clubs, it is easy to see why they do it. Arsenal have been starved of silverware for the last five years or so, and Spurs will be desperate to get something out of their advances, so there is a lot at stake.

The Carling Cup third round highlight throws up some interesting football betting, as the draw throws together North London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham at White Hart Lane. Some serious bragging rights will be up for grabs in the glamour tie, and it will be interesting to see if both sides go with inexperienced line ups. Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger usually sends out the youngsters in this competition in order to get some experience for them, so it will not be too much of a side if he goes down that route again. However, with Tottenham involved in their first ever season of Champions League football, boss Harry Redknapp may decide to also rest some of his senior players for the Carling Cup this year. The third round ties are played during the week of September 20th, and for a lot of clubs it offers chance of some silverware. The North London clash is arguably the biggest of the third round, but the draw still throws up some more interesting challenges.

Online bookmaker Stan James are running a new Goalscorer promotion for the 2010/11 season. When you make a bet on any Goalscorer market for any football match this season, Stan James will refund any lost stakes if the match ends in a 0-0 draw. This great offer covers all Goalscorer markets on Stan James for any football match from around the world, in any competition. This cover your Goalscorer bets up to a maximum of £250, and with England playing Switzerland on Wednesday, plus the return of the Premier League and Champions League coming, there’s plenty of football betting to come. Stan James have Chelsea pencilled in as favourites to win the Carling Cup though, at a price of 11/2.

Manchester United picked up last year’s Cup at Wembley, with a controversial win over Aston Villa, and they get one of the easier third round ties, as they have to face Scunthorpe from the Championship. Similarly, new Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson will be pleased with his side coming out of the hat against Northampton from League Two. More likely than not, the Carling Cup will be a big focus for Hodgson, as he tries to bring some happier days back to Anfield. Will the Carling Cup be their one domestic success of the season as they look to get back on their feet? Football betting on the Carling Cup has them reasonably priced, but of course behind the stronger forces of Chelsea and Manchester United. Premier League Champions and FA Cup holders Chelsea will enjoy a home tie against Premier League opposition Newcastle. Manchester City, who will also be desperate to add silverware to the cabinet after a lot of barren years and a lot of spending. They also face Premier League opposition in the shape of West Brom, but both City and Chelsea will of course be expected to progress.

Other all Premier League clashes throw together Aston Villa and Blackburn, plus Sunderland and West Ham and Stoke v Fulham. One of the most poignant clashes will come when Bolton play Burnley. Current Bolton boss Owen Coyle left Burnley half way through their season in the Premier League last year, to take charge at Burnley. Naturally the Burnley fans weren’t too happy about him abandoning them while they were struggling to go to a northern rival, so no doubt there will be some uproar and hostilities again from the Burnley fans who saw their side relegated while Bolton survived.

Carling Cup Third Round Ties to be played during week of September 20        
Brentford v Everton
Portsmouth v Leicester
Stoke v Fulham
Chelsea v Newcastle
Aston Villa v Blackburn
Tottenham v Arsenal
Mill wall v Ipswich
Wolves v Notts County
Burnley v Bolton
Birmingham v MK Dons
Liverpool v Northampton
Scunthorpe v Man Utd
West Brom v Man City
Sunderland v West Ham
Peterborough v Swansea
Wigan v Preston

Carling Cup Outright Prices

Chelsea: 11/2 at Stan James
Manchester United: 11/2 at Bet365
Manchester City: 6/1 at SkyBet
Liverpool: 9/1 at Boylesports
Everton: 11/1 at Victor Chandler
Tottenham: 16/1 at SportingBet
Arsenal: 16/1 at Totesport
Aston Villa: 18/1 at Paddy Power

Carling Cup Outright Betting Odds

Chelsea: 6/1 at SkyBet
Man Utd: 13/2 at Victor Chandler
Man City: 7/1 at SkyBet
Liverpool: 10/1 at Bet365
Arsenal: 12/1 at Bet365
Tottenham: 12/1 at BetFred

The Carling Cup is still awaiting the arrival of the so called big guns, (the Premier League teams who are participating in Europe) who enter later, but the draw for the second round of the tournament has been made. The draw has not done anything to influence or change this at the top of the outright betting market, but it has thrown up some interesting ties, notably a potential giant killing act when Oxford from League Two, go to Upton Park to face Premier League side West Ham. As the David v Goliath type matches generally take precedence in the interest of tournament betting, Premier League side Stoke City play Shrewsbury from League Two as well. Newcastle United, upon their return to top flight football in the English Premier League are keen to pit themselves against the best in the country, but they take a step back from that as they face Accrington Stanley away from home. Hartlepool from League One, who beat Championship opponents Sheffield United in the week in the first round, are rewarded with a home tie against Premier League opposition, Wigan. Everton entertain Huddersfield at Goodison Park. All fixtures are due to be played during the week of August 23rd.

Carling Cup Second Round Draw
Accrington Stanley v Newcastle United
Birmingham City v Rochdale
Blackburn Rovers v Norwich City
Bradford City v Preston North End
Brentford v Hull City
Crewe v Ipswich Town
Everton v Huddersfield Town
Fulham v Port Vale
Hartlepool United v Wigan Athletic
Leeds United v Leicester City
Leyton Orient v West Bromwich Albion
Millwall v Middlesbrough
MK Dons v Blackpool
Morecambe v Burnley
Peterborough United v Cardiff City
Portsmouth v Crystal Palace
Reading v Northampton Town
Scunthorpe v Sheff Wednesday
Southampton v Bolton Wanderers
Stoke City v Shrewsbury Town
Sunderland v Colchester United
Tranmere Rovers v Swansea City
Watford v Notts County
West Ham United v Oxford United
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Southend United

League Cup commences in August, Chelsea start as favourites

The Carling Cup draw was made recently, with the first ties to be played in the week starting on August 9th, 2010. While there are no Premier League teams in action in the tournament, the matches are worth studying to pick up some decent odds. Portsmouth, for example, who were relegated from the Premier League last year, go up against football league newcomers Stevenage, who won promotion from the Conference. The ties for this first round are split into northern and southern sections. There is also a split in the seeded and un-seeded teams, which has basically been designed so that the stronger teams in the tournament at this early stage, namely the teams from the Championship, who could not be drawn against each other. Naturally in Carling Cup betting, the Premier League’s top teams, which come in during the later stages of the draw to give them a break, are leading the way in the football betting.

2010/11 Carling Cup Outright Odds

Chelsea: 6/1 at SkyBet
Manchester United: 6/1 at William Hill
Manchester City: 7/1 at BetFred
Liverpool: 10/1 at Ladbrokes
Tottenham: 12/1 at BetFred

Carling Cup first round draw:

Hartlepool United v Sheffield United
Leicester City v Macclesfield Town
Walsall v Tranmere Rovers
Carlisle United v Huddersfield Town
Stockport County v Preston North End
Barnsley v Rochdale
Morecambe v Coventry City
Doncaster Rovers v Accrington Stanley
Chesterfield v Middlesbrough
Peterborough United v Rotherham United
Bradford City v Nottingham Forest
Leeds United v Lincoln City
Sheffield Wednesday v Bury
Scunthorpe United v Oldham Athletic
Crewe Alexandra v Derby County
Exeter City v Ipswich Town
Southend United v Bristol City
Southampton v Bournemouth
Brentford v Cheltenham Town
Queens Park Rangers v Port Vale
Torquay United v Reading
Norwich City v Gillingham
Stevenage v Portsmouth
Shrewsbury Town v Charlton Athletic
Cardiff City v Burton Albion
Northampton Town v Brighton & Hove Albion
Swansea City v Barnet
Plymouth Argyle v Notts County
Wycombe Wanderers v Millwall
Oxford United v Bristol Rovers
Milton Keynes Dons v Dagenham & Redbridge
Hereford United v Colchester United
Yeovil Town v Crystal Palace
Aldershot Town v Watford
Swindon Town v Leyton Orient

Carling Cup Betting will hit its peak on Sunday. Manchester United will be looking to hold on to their Carling Cup, with victory over Aston Villa on Sunday. By that time, United will know where they stand in the race for the Premier League title as well, with Chelsea playing on Saturday, but all attention will be on their Wembley date against Martin O’Neill’s Aston Villa. Villa are enjoying a good season and are firmly lodged in the race for fourth spot in the Premier League. A lot of their good work can be attributed to the sound defensive system which O’Neill has instilled at the club, and they go into Sunday’s showdown with the best defensive record in the Premier League.

It was their defence which strolled into Old Trafford earlier in the season, to hold out for a surprise 1-0 win against the Red Devil’s, which sort of set a benchmark for what the Midlands side wanted to achieve this season. They have, slowly but surely, developed their own identity in style, personnel and have played their way into the upper tier of the Premier League. While they may take a more direct route to goal than Manchester United, that is simply playing to their strengths, and they do look a very good, organised and solid team. They certainly have pace up front in England hopeful Gabriel Agbonlahor, but they haven’t been prolific in front of goal, compared to the teams in the standings around them.

It is quite a strong England connection from Agbonlahor, with Emile Heskey, Ashley Young, Stephen Warnock, Stuart Downing and bright spark of the season, James Milner. As well as the pace of Agbonlahor, they have power in the air, but their route to goal has been a bit shy of other competitors. That hasn’t stopped their progress upwards though, as their defence has given them a great platform to build upon. The mainstay of this defence has been Richard Dunne and James Collins, who will need to police Rooney again. This allows them to soak  up a lot of pressure against teams, as well as conceding possession, because they are capable of winning matches by the odd goal. This is contrast to Manchester United, who drive towards goal with fluency, with England striker Wayne Rooney usually on the end of all the attacking moves.

Rooney, who can usually play just as well isolated, as well as part of a duo, is the main threat for Manchester United, and it goes without saying that the Villa defence will have to shepherd him well. Villa do not have many worries in terms of injuries and selection, with their more illustrious opponents having the lions share of that. United boss Alex Ferguson has to make do again without Rio Ferdinand and John O’Shea at the back again, as well as the experience which Ryan Giggs brings to the team. Owen Hargreaves is still absent, and midfielder Anderson injured himself against West Ham, and winger Nani will be missing through suspension.

Villa have had the better of the encounters between the two sides this season, but a lot could come down to big match experience. United have plenty of that, although they haven’t won a final at the new Wembley Stadium without needing penalties to do so, so that could factor in your betting strategies. It looks as if it will be a tight game on Sunday, and a draw is more than possible. United will start as strong favourites, even though they have had some woeful blips in from this season, which seem to come out of the blue. Aston Villa have gotten to the final, largely on the back of the reserve team, but the first team will be out in force on Sunday, including goalie Brad Friedel who has yet to play in the competition so far this season. Edwin van der Saar, who has just extended his contract at United, should get the starting nod for the Red Devils.

United also ran largely with their underlings through the competition, before the main players stepped into the fray to see off rivals Manchester City in the semi finals. This is the first piece of silverware on offer for the new season, and it’s no surprise that United are participating in it. They put the pressure back on Chelsea at the top of the Premier League with a midweek win over West Ham, after Ferguson tinkered greatly with his starting eleven. Now they will be looking to add what hopefully for United fans, will be the first silverware of another successful season. The key factor could be how well the Villa centre halves deal with a certain Mr Rooney, and rely on the pace that they have to catch United on the counter. It could be a big battle in the middle of the park for supremacy, as both teams have the capability to flood it.

BETTING STATS

Last 5 Head to Head
Aston Villa 1, Man Utd 1
Man Utd 0, Aston Villa 1
Man Utd 3, Aston Villa 2
Aston Villa 0, Man Utd 0
Man Utd 4, Aston Villa 0

Last 5 Match Goals
Man Utd: 13 For, 6 Against
Aston Villa: 11 For, 6 Against

Last 10 Form
Man Utd: W7, D1, L2
Aston Villa: W5, D5, L0

Asian Handicap Betting Advice: Yes, Manchester United will go into the betting as favourite, and rightly so. This should be a close game, with Aston Villa being such a tight unit, and therefore, any Asian Handicap bet which has Villa in the plus at a good price, should seriously be considered. Are United two goals better than Villa? Can Villa go better than holding out for a draw for long periods? These are questions worth asking, and both which point to a Villa plus.
Aston Villa +1 Asian Handicap: 4/5 at Victor Chandler

Carling Cup Betting often leans towards the underdog having their day in the sun at Wembley. Aston Villa start Sunday’s Carling Cup final as underdogs to Manchester United, and SportingBet are covering the event with a couple of great cash back promotions. Have a little extra coverage to back up your bets is great, and online Bookmaker SportingBet are stepping to the fore once against with two stake refund offers, one for lost First Goalscorer bets, and one for Correct Score bets.

The First Goalscorer refund will apply if Man Utd goal machine Wayne Rooney finds the back as last goalscorer, then all losing first goalscorer bets will be refunded. With the form Rooney is in, and pretty much being United’s sole source of goals, and with their penchant for popping up for late winners, this is a great promotion to jump on.

The Correct Score market refund will apply if Villa’s James Milner scores the last goal of the match. If the England World Cup hopeful buries the final goal and it messes up your correct score prediction, then SportingBet have you covered, as they will refund all lost stakes on the correct score market.

Will favourites United hang on the Carling Cup they won against Spurs last season? Can Villa top a great season for them, by creating an upset at Wembley. There is plenty of coverage on Sunday’s big match at SportingBet, and new account holders can get a £25 welcome bonus. Head on over to this excellent online bookmaker for your sports betting and check out the submarkets for the Wembley final, along with these fixed odds outright winner odds (for 90 minutes):

Manchester United to win: 3/4
Draw: 12/5
Aston Villa to win: 16/5

With all of the brouhaha surrounding the first leg of the Manchester derby Carling Cup semi final, the ties gets down to the real intense stuff on Wednesday night. City and United go into combat again at Old Trafford, with Alex Ferguson looking to overturn a 2-1 deficit. The first leg was all dominated by the precocious little Argentinean Carlos Tevez, who scored a brace for City. He seemed to revel in the moment, celebrating his goal scoring feats in front of the United bench, and taunting the easily riled Gary Neville for backing Ferguson in not signing Tevez to a permanent contract. Tevez of course, spent a long time at United on loan, but moved across the City to join the blue revolution in Manchester.

It’s all handbags at ten paces stuff, but it is highly amusing and entertaining. Watching Wayne Rooney doing playground taunts as Tevez was taking his successful penalty kick was a particular highlight. Now it will all be serious again, and will probably account for some fierce challenges going on at Old Trafford. The Ref is probably going to have his hands full. The passion of support surrounding the game really does not need any explanation. The fans will be fired up, the players will be fired up, and the managers will need to try and keep their players focused on the game. A hot headed sending off could cost either side dearly.

Aston Villa await the winners in the Final of the 2010 Carling Cup, after they produced a 10-goal thriller in their second leg against Blackburn. If City and United can produce half of that amount of goals between them on Wednesday night, it will be a fantastic game. The scoreline suggests that City have the edge, but in all honesty, United only have themselves to blame for being behind, as they looked for the large part, certainly in the early stages, to be the better team. With England star Wayne Rooney in red hot form, banging in 4 goals against Hull on the weekend, United at home cannot be counted out of course. That performance seemed to spark a flood of suggestions that he will be leaving Old Trafford for somewhere bigger. The only two teams who would stump up that kind of money would be Real Madrid or Barcelona. Those rumours can be summed up in one word. Unlikely.

Whether it is hairdryer or full on wind tunnel treatment that Ferguson gives his men, he will be ready for Roberto Mancini’s City. They will not like conceding ground at home to their nearest rivals. After receiving long time injured Rio Ferdinand back from injury, the centre half has now been charged with violent conduct for striking a Hull player. Most of Ferguson’s woes this season have come because they have been missing defensive players. This latest episode could lead to a three match ban for Ferdinand. He will still be available for the Carling Cup semi final, but would be missing against their next league match away at Arsenal on Sunday.

City could be a fuller strength than in the first leg, with Kolo Toure back from the African Cup of Nations, and striker Emmauel Adebayor likely to be eased back into action after the tragedy over the attack on the Togo team bus. Tevez again will be the pivotal figure for the light Blues, as he is the creative engine in the side. As for Brazilian forward Robinho, it looks as if he will be leaving Eastlands, at least temporarily, as there are a couple of Brazilian clubs looking to acquire his services on loan. After a long time out injured, he has looked extremely out of touch in his limited appearances back in the team. There will still be no Patrick Vieira for City either, which is a shame, as he is exactly the type of player needed for City in this situation, as he is struggling with a calf injury.

Batten down the hatches and get ready for an absorbing, full on contest between the Manchester rivals. How secure is United’s grip on the Carling Cup as defending champions? Will this herald in a new era of being “the biggest and best football club in the world” for Manchester City?

BETTING STATS

Last 5 Head to Head
Man City 2, Man Utd 1
Man Utd 4, Man City 3
Man Utd 2, Man City 0
Man City 0, Man Utd 1
Man Utd 1, Man City 2

Last 5 Match Goals
Man Utd – 9 For, 4 Against
Man City – 11 For, 6 Against

Last 10 Form (league and cups)
Man Utd – W5, D1, L4
Man City – W7, D1, L2

Win Percentage
Man Utd have a 68.4 win percentage at home
Man City have a 42.9 win percentage away from home

Match Prices (90 minutes)
Man Utd to win: 4/6 at Bet365
Draw: 3/1 at Victor Chandler
Man City to win: 9/2 at SkyBet

Betting Advice: How close is this one going to be? City rode their luck a little bit, and with Rooney looking sharp, it suggest United are going to find the back of the net at some point during the night. United do have an away goal, but that will only count after extra time. If the aggregate scores are level at the end of 90 minutes, then there will be extra time. Only then will the away goal rule come into play at the end of 120 minutes. Having your nose in front already could mean the difference for City. They will have to perform with a little more steel than they did at home. They are in good form though, so edging them with a handicap could pay off:
Man City +0.75 Asian Handicap: 43/40 at Bet365