The prestigious League Cup, now known as the EFL Cup, is back underway this week and here at Blasting News, it got us thinking. Who has the potential to win the League Cup for the 2017/18 campaign?
Liverpool
The Merseyside team are the most successful side within the League Cup’s history with eight victories, their last triumph coming in 2012 and reaching the final as recently as 2016.
However, current manager Jurgen Klopp has come under fire recently and certainly has a point to prove. Despite being hailed as a hero by his loyal fanbase due to some memorable results and his eccentric character, his success within the role of manager is sometimes overlooked. Klopp has a win percentage of 49.46% which is lower than Brendan Rodgers during his time at the Reds, where he was considered a ‘flop’. Therefore, with the strongest squad that Liverpool have had in comparison to the last few years, it should come as no surprise that Klopp will be chasing silverware in the EFL Cup to silence his critics.
Tottenham
Mauricio Pochettino has transformed the North London side into somewhat of a dominant force within English football. The Argentinian tactician has played attacking and attractive football, guiding the Lilywhites to second and third within the Premier League within recent times. However, despite playing incredibly attractive football over the last few years, there is one thing that Tottenham are missing - a trophy. The North London side have yet to lift a piece of silverware since their League Cup victory over Chelsea in 2008, making it nearly ten years since their last trophy. With the likes of Kane, Alli, and Eriksen in the side, Spurs could be going for silverware this time around and what better what to do that by winning the League Cup.
Hopefully inspiring them to win bigger and more established trophies in the future.
Watford
The Hornets may come as a surprise addition to this list, however, they have every right to be here. The club made some excellent acquisitions during the summer transfer window by improving the squad and bringing in an extremely talented manager. Although they may be considered as the underdogs for this tournament, new manager Marco Silva boasts an incredible managerial record. The Portuguese manager won six out of eight of his home fixtures as Hull City manager last season, which is incredible to see bearing in the mind the calibre of the squad that he was working with. If he is able to translate this form into results for Watford, expect there to be silverware at Vicarage Road very soon.