After a dodgy start to their first Premier League campaign for decades (four points from their first eight games), they now stand 13th and six points off the relegation zone after picking up 17 points from their next 12. They are still not out of the relegation fight just yet, though.
Manchester United have enjoyed a recent revival, too, although the start to their domestic season was a little shorter-lived. Erik ten Hag has turned a club in crisis into a team that at least looks like it has half an idea what they’re doing. They are far from the finished article, with some areas that need addressing. Sunday’s 3-2 loss at Arsenal highlighted those deficiencies and how far they are behind the league leaders.
Still, although progress in the league is the benchmark, the club has not won a trophy since 2017’s Europa League (which followed the League Cup the same season and the FA Cup the season before). As Erik ten Hag said last week, for a club of this size and history that is not acceptable and the Carabao Cup offers them a chance to pick up some silverware in the next month or so.
Kick off is at 8pm and I will be here for all the build-up, latest updates and reaction from the tie.
