ALEX CROOK PREVIEW: League Cup Final & EPL Weekend

Star Sports ambassador ALEX CROOK gives his thoughts ahead of a big weekend of football involving some exciting Premier League action and the EFL Cup final…

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🔴 LIVERPOOL v NEWCASTLE ⚫️ 
League Cup Final
Sunday, 4.30pm

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I will be at Wembley on Sunday soaking up what should be a brilliant atmosphere as the first silverware of the season is dished out.

For Newcastle it represents the chance to end their long wait for a trophy for their success-starved yet devoted fans.

While a victory for favourites Liverpool would ensure new manager Arne Slot picks up at least one winners’ medal – and more likely a double with the Reds well clear of the chasing pack in the Premier League title race.

It also offered Slot’s side an immediate opportunity to bounce back from Tuesday’s heart-breaking Champions League exit at the hands of PSG.

Slot’s Newcastle counterpart Eddie Howe would have been delighted to see that game go all the way to extra-time and penalties and there are fitness doubts over key defensive duo Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ibrahima Konate.

The Magpies have injury issues of their own with Lewis Hall and Sven Botman both absent along with the suspended Anthony Gordon.

However, I think the physical and emotional toll of the PSG disappointment gives Newcastle more of a chance of defying the odds than I would have credited them with after the semi-finals.

Holders Liverpool are aiming to win the trophy for an 11th time after last season’s dramatic extra-time victory over Chelsea’s so-called ‘billion pound bottle jobs.’

They proved a year ago they have the ability to grind out big results in big games and that should give them a mental edge over their opponents.

Newcastle in contrast have frozen the last three times they have played a Wembley finals, most recently in their limps 2-0 defeat against Manchester United two seasons ago.

As a neutral I hope Eddie Howe’s side have learned from that experience and can produce the level of performance they did in sweeping Arsenal aside in the semis.

If they do then in star man Alexander Isak they have a player who can take advantage of any fatigue in the Liverpool ranks.

In what is fast becoming the year of the underdog I am willing to take a chance on Newcastle to lift the trophy at 2/1 with starsports.bet.

I also like the look of the build-a-bet of Newcastle to win in 90 minutes and Isak to score at any time at 6/1 with starsports.bet.

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🔵 MAN CITY v BRIGHTON 🔵 
Saturday, 3pm

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Finding winners at a decent prize in the Premier League looks very difficult this weekend with a highly-competitive, albeit reduced, set of fixtures.

Brighton’s trip to Manchester City on Saturday could have a big bearing on the make-up of the Champions League places.

The Seagulls will arrive at the Etihad in buoyant mood having won each of their last four matches, including last weekend’s stoppage time victory at home to Fulham.

City remain vulnerable as they proved in losing at Nottingham Forest and they have already slumped to defeat in the reverse fixture at the Amex Stadium.

The champions have already lost nine Premier League games this season and have never lost ten in a row under Pep Guardiola.

Three of those losses have come at the Etihad, which is clearly no longer the fortress it once was.

They have never lost a league game at home to Brighton but odds of 7/2 with starsports.bet on an away victory are too big in my opinion.

Joao Pedro has scored in each of his last three league games and the Brazilian is 5/2 with starsports.bet to net any time.

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🔴 ARSENAL v CHELSEA 🔵
Sunday, 1.30pm

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Arsenal’s Premier League title hopes are all but over and Sunday’s London derby at home to Chelsea is now more about maintaining the gap to the teams below them than closing in on Liverpool.

Last weekend’s 1-1 draw at Manchester United as the third league game in a row the Gunners have failed to win and in truth they were lucky to leave Old Trafford with a point after their hosts missed a load of second half chances.

Chelsea were also less than convincing in their 1-0 win at home to struggling Leicester so this is a match-up between two sides not playing with the swagger they were earlier in the season.

Both teams were also in European action in mid-week, although Arsenal were able to rest players and play pressure-free in the second leg of their Champions League clash with PSV Eindhoven after a 7-1 win in the first leg.

Chelsea bored the pants off us in seeing off minnows Copenhagen in the Conference League.

With talisman Cole Palmer off colour of late, Enzo Maresca’s side have four of their last six away games, drawing the other two and I think at home Arsenal will have too much class.

Arsenal to win are 4/5 with starsports.bet.

Declan Rice has come up with some big goals for Arsenal of late and is 14/1 with starsports.bet to open the scoring.

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BACK Newcastle to lift the trophy 1pt at 2/1 (⭐️ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)
Build-a-bet: Newcastle to win in 90 minutes and Alexander Isak to score at any time 1pt at 6/1 with starsports.bet
BACK Brighton to win 1pt at 7/1 (⭐️ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)
BACK Joao Pedro to score first 1pt at 5/2 (⭐️ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)
BACK Arsenal to win 2pts at 4/5 (⭐️ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)
BACK Declan Rice to score first 1pt at 14/1 (⭐️ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)
ALEX ACCA: Forest, West Brom, Reading and Bradford 1pt at 14.45/1 with starsports.bet

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