EFL Cup Round 4 Preview: Key Stats, Predictions and Tips

Manchester City welcome Brighton to the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday evening, with both sides looking to bounce back from Premier League defeats at the weekend. City's perfect league start came to an end with a 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa, while Brighton's eight-match unbeaten run was halted by a 2-0 loss to Liverpool.

Both sides enjoyed convincing third-round victories, with City thrashing Norwich 5-0 and Brighton coming from two goals down to beat Manchester United 3-2. Enzo Maresca made 10 changes against Norwich, handing Floyd Samba his senior debut, with the youngster scoring twice. However, a tougher opponent could see City field a stronger starting XI this time around.

Phil Foden could be one to watch for the hosts, having four goals in his last three appearances after going 35 games without a goal. He only featured from the bench against Aston villa on Saturday so he will be hoping for more minutes on Wednesday night. Brighton have also failed to keep a clean sheet in their last 19 meetings with City, suggesting the hosts could enjoy further goalscoring success.

CopyBet's Prediction: Manchester City to win — 8/13

CopyBet's One to Watch: Phil Foden to score anytime — 9/4

Bournemouth welcome Aston Villa to the Vitality Stadium on Wednesday evening, looking to continue their impressive home form. Marco Rose's side head into the clash off the back of consecutive home victories over Sunderland and AC Milan, including a memorable 3-0 Europa League win over the Italian giants and Sunday's emphatic 3-0 win against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

The Cherries cruised into the fourth round with a 4-0 victory over Lincoln City, with Ryan Christie netting a hat-trick. Álvaro Rodríguez was handed a start ahead of Evanilson in that fixture, and further changes could be expected on Wednesday. Villa, meanwhile, progressed with a 3-1 victory over Coventry City, with Tammy Abraham scoring twice, and head into Wednesday's clash full of confidence after beating Manchester City 2-1 at the weekend.

Abraham could be one to watch again, having scored six goals in his last seven away appearances in the EFL Cup. However, with Bournemouth enjoying an excellent run of results, the Cherries will be confident of securing a place in the quarter-finals.

CopyBet's Prediction: Bournemouth to win — 23/20

CopyBet's One to Watch: Tammy Abraham to score anytime — 17/10

Liverpool welcome Chelsea to Anfield on Wednesday evening, fresh from a 2-0 victory over Brighton that secured their first home Premier League win of the season. The Reds have now won four consecutive matches and are unbeaten in their last five home meetings with Chelsea.

Chelsea, meanwhile, suffered a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Tottenham on Saturday, with Cole Palmer sent off in the second half. The England international will serve a one-match suspension on Wednesday, ruling him out of the EFL cup tie. However, Xabi Alonso's side have impressed in the competition this season, scoring eight goals in two matches, including six against Leeds United.

With Liverpool balancing domestic and Champions League commitments, heavy squad rotation could play a significant role. Meanwhile, Brazilian talent Estevao, who has struggled for minutes under Alonso, should slot into the number 10 role in Palmer’s absence. Chelsea, a team who have often used the cup competitions to bounce back from league setbacks, will be keen to secure a place in the quarter-finals.

CopyBet's Prediction: Chelsea to win — 6/4

CopyBet's One to Watch: Estevao to score anytime — 23/10

With a place in the EFL Cup quarter-finals at stake, Wednesday promises plenty of intrigue as six Premier League sides go head-to-head.

Will the favourites progress, or could we see a few surprises along the way?

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Odds correct at the time of writing.