The third round of the 2021/22 EFL Cup gets under on Tuesday, with four all-Premier League clashes on the cards.
One of the standout ties of the round sees Norwich City host Liverpool at Carrow Road, with the two clubs enjoying contrasting fortunes during the early stages of the season.
A new week and tomorrow we're back in action 🙌#MondayMotivation pic.twitter.com/sXlUq5hIy6— Liverpool FC (@LFC) September 20, 2021
A new week and tomorrow we're back in action 🙌#MondayMotivation pic.twitter.com/sXlUq5hIy6
Liverpool find themselves atop the Premier League table, having picked up four wins and a draw from their opening five match
Norwich, on the other hand, sit rock bottom of the table. They have lost each of their first five games and look somewhat out of their depth in the top flight.Not only have the Canaries suffered five straight defeats in the league, but they have also scored just two goals in the process.
Worse still, they have conceded a whopping 14 goals already – meaning they have the worst defensive record in the division.
Daniel Farke’s men managed to claim a hugely impressive 6-0 victory over Bournemouth in the previous round of the EFL Cup.
However, they have not been able to replicate that kind of performance in the Premier League – and that will worry Farke.
Liverpool, meanwhile, have started the season in ruthless form – notching five wins and one draw in six outings across all competitions.
Funnily enough, Jurgen Klopp’s men crushed Norwich 3-0 on Matchday 1 before beating Burnley, Leeds and Crystal Palace.
Along with a draw against Chelsea, the Reds have also beaten AC Milan in the Champions League – coming from behind to clinch a 3-2 victory at Anfield last week.
Klopp’s side have scored exactly three goals in four of their six games this term and have also kept four clean sheets along the way.
And if their recent record against Norwich is anything to go by, they are set for another high-scoring victory on Tuesday.
Head-to-head: Liverpool are on a 15-match unbeaten streak against Norwich, having sealed 13 wins and two draws since the Canaries’ last victory back in 1994.
Across their previous ten meetings, the Reds have netted a combined total of 35 goals – averaging 3.5 goals per game.
Team news: Norwich currently have Przemyslaw Placheta, Sam Byram and Christoph Zimmermann sidelined through injury, although Bali Mumba and Jakob Sorensen are close to returning.
Klopp is expected to name a much-changed team, with Harvey Elliot and Roberto Firmino on the treatment table. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Thiago are also doubts.
When you couple the contrasting form of these two sides with Liverpool’s recent dominance in this fixture, all the signs point towards an easy away win here.
With that in mind, Forebet predicts that Liverpool will score over 2.5 goals and keep a clean sheet on their way to dispatching the Canaries.