Burnley v Sunderland
Wednesday 28th August 1945hrs
Football – England –EFL Cup
Pick Leicester
Bookmaker Ladbrokes
Odds: 6/5 (odds taken 21.00 GMT, Tuesday 27 August)
 |
1 | X | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12/5 | 9/4 | 28/25 |
* (Betting Odds were taken from 22Bet on August 27, 2019 at 20.00)
The only all Premier League tie on Wednesday night takes place at St James’ Park as Newcastle – fresh off their first win of the season – face a dangerous Leicester side who have quality in abundance.
English EFL Cup Betting at Ladbrokes
Newcastle Preview – Will Bruce’s men build on excellent win over Spurs and gain another big victory?
Steve Bruce would have been under no illusions that a bad start to the season would have seen him under pressure. Anybody who replaced Rafa Benitez was always going to be in a difficult position so you cannot underestimate how important the 1-0 win over Tottenham was at the weekend. A dogged but ultimately ineffective performance at home to Arsenal was followed by a terrible result away to Norwich. The nature of that 3-1 loss had the wagons beginning to circle so there would have been huge relief as a single goal from their record signing Joelinton against Spurs earned them their first points of the season. The pressure is going to be there for Bruce until the point where the supporters can see their team at a similar level to last season, however.
What would help with that is a long cup run at a club where they crave success. That is not something that they have much experience of although they did reach the quarter finals in 2014 and 2016. It’s not been a competition that’s been overly kind to Newcastle down the years and it remains to be seen whether or not Bruce will deem it important enough to target. Another win, especially against Premier League opposition, would be welcome and continue to build confidence ahead of an important league clash with Watford on Saturday.
Leicester Preview – Will this be the start of a successful cup run for Rodgers’ Leicester?
The advantage for Brendan Rodgers moving to Leicester before the end of last season was he could size up his squad ahead of his first full season in charge. With the investment the club has made in recent years expectations are high they can break into that top six and possibly even better. Rodgers is a very ambitious coach and will feel he can improve on the seasons since that league triumph in 2016. It’s been positive signs so far as the Foxes are unbeaten in their three league games. Draws against Wolves and Chelsea were good markers for them before their first win away to Sheffield United at the weekend. Although very early in the season it sees them tucked in nicely in fourth spot.
Progress and a European finish via the Premier League is undoubtedly going to be Rodgers’ aim for the season. That said, Leicester’s squad is big enough that they can cope with a run in the cup competitions and both offer an alternative route to European football. When you look through the squad of players who have not featured much it indicates just how strong this squad is. James Justin, Filip Benkovic and Kelechi Iheanacho are all likely to start tomorrow’s game.
Key-Facts – Newcastle v Leicester
- Steve Bruce would have been hugely relieved with getting his first win as Newcastle boss and it was an impressive win away to Tottenham
- Leicester remain unbeaten this season having taken five points from their first three league games
- This game could see a swift return to St James’ for Ayoze Perez who switched clubs in the summer
Newcastle v Leicester Betting Advice
These clubs will face each other again in a month’s time when three points will be up for grabs. Neither Bruce or Rodgers would look upon this game as being more crucial but it has importance for both. Newcastle are trying to build confidence but the game against Watford on Saturday is already huge in the context of their season. For Leicester they will see this as an opportunity to not only continue their strong start but also with a view to some success which the club are aiming for.
I expect a lot of changes in both of these teams for tomorrow’s game. It means we’ll see a number of new signings who have not had much game time. It may also see Ayoze Perez face his old team just a couple of months after leaving. With changes likely it often comes down to who has the strongest squad and that is without doubt Leicester. Their superior quality can tell and see them progress into the next round.
