Manchester City’s reign on the EFL Cup is over. After winning it all in each of the last four seasons, the Sky Blues were booted out of the Round of 16 by West Ham United via penalties.
Chelsea, Sunderland, and Leicester City advanced to the next round as they’ve won their respective matches via penalties too, while Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham, and Brentford asserted their might against their relatively weaker opponents.
The EFL Cup 2021 odds now have Liverpool as the favourites from these last eight participants given their history in the competition. Like the Sky Blues, the Reds also have eight EFL Cups in their trophy case and they’re eager to add one more to be the all-time leader.
With the Round of 16 done and dusted, here are some key takeaways based on the latest EFL Cup 2021 results.
West Ham United continue to thrive under David Moyes
It was a night to remember for the Hammers as they produced one of the shocking results in the tournament. Coming into this game, the odds were stacked against West Ham United due to the fact that Manchester City have held the EFL Cup in the last 1,827 days.
Playing in front of a sell-out crowd, West Ham United were determined to not let their supporters down and they held their nerve just enough to force the game into a penalty shootout.
Manchester City had 64-per cent possession and 18 more total shots but they were left to rue their missed opportunities in the end.
In the penalties, the Hammers scored five while the Sky Blues only made three, putting the London Stadium fans into a frenzy.
Under David Moyes, West Ham United have now made it into the last eight of this competition, won all three of their Europa League group games so far while sitting fourth in the Premier League standings.
As a Manchester United supporter here, one can’t help but feel happy for the former Red Devils manager since he was given such a short leash compared to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The Hammers should continue to fly high under Moyes’ guidance and we wouldn’t be surprised if they’ll progress to the quarter-finals.
Defence is Chelsea’s calling card
Chelsea may be known for their attacking wealth but what makes them lethal is their strength on the other end.
Yesterday, Chelsea had 63-per cent possession and 14 shots on target compared to Southampton’s 37-per cent and seven, but their defence is arguably what won them this game.
With the score level at one goal apiece, both teams need to settle the result via penalties and Chelsea came out on top 4-3.
Backup goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga was one of the bright spots for Thomas Tuchel as he came up with a couple of crucial saves while summer acquisition Saul Niguez twice came close to opening his scoring account for the Blues.
Trevoh Chalobah, meanwhile, has certainly justified his extended playing time since he has been a beast at the centre-back position and he has scored two goals as well.
Him, Reece James, and Malang Sarr have formed a formidable back three that Tuchel can use from time to time moving forward.
Tottenham break out of their slump
The Spurs had to earn their last eight slot the hard way against the gritty Clarets. In contrast to the Chelsea-Southampton and West Ham-Manchester City games, chances were limited for these two teams.
But one mistake late proved costly for Burnley as they left Lucas Moura unmarked at the 68th minute, and the sub nodded home Emerson Royal’s delivery for the only goal of the contest.
The win was a sigh of relief for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side, as they’ve lost their past two games. Prior to last night, it has been a rough week for the Spurs both in the Premier League and Europa League.
Tottenham need this morale-boosting victory as they’ll look forward to host a slumping Manchester United squad this Saturday night.
Calum Chambers and Eddie Nketiah prove their worth for Arsenal
Here at SBOTOP, we’ve always wondered why Calum Chambers doesn’t play much for Arsenal especially after his performance yesterday.
Chambers had only been deployed since Ben White was feeling under the weather and the 26-year-old made instant impact upon his return to the starting XI.
When Arsenal were searching for their first goal against Leeds United, it was Chambers who delivered as he beat Illan Meslier with his first touch.
14 minutes later, youngster Eddie Nketiah added one to put the game beyond doubt by scoring his second goal of the season.
Hopefully for Chambers and Nketiah, this helps them build their case as to why they should be played more by Mikel Arteta moving forward.
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