Major trophies are hard to win. Clubs have three or four chances each season, dependent on European participation, and success rates are extremely low.
Fourteen of the 20 Premier League clubs haven’t lifted silverware in the last decade including established names like Tottenham and Everton. And only five of the 20 current Premier League managers have ever won a major prize in this country.
When you consider respected figures like David Moyes and Sam Allardyce are still waiting for their first major honour, it underlines how hard it is.
The EFL Cup is less lucrative than the Premier League and Champions League but still extremely important, this year more than ever. Every one of the quarter-finalists who play this week have their own good reason to lift the cup at Wembley in April.
NEWCASTLE UNITED
Brentford (a) Tuesday
Many Newcastle United fans are unhappy with Steve Bruce, citing his negative style of play, frequent excuses and the fact he’s not Rafa Benitez as reasons to criticise his management.
There is probably only one way for Bruce to win them round and that is win the EFL Cup. Given that Newcastle’s hunt for a trophy is one of football’s greatest Odysseys, he would go down in club history regardless of what supporters think of him at the moment.
Newcastle’s last major honour was the Fairs Cup (now Europa League) in 1969 when Harold Wilson was Prime Minister and The Beatles were still recording.
Twenty-four managers have tried to emulate the winning manager Colin Harvey since them – including stellar names like Kevin Keegan, Kenny Dalglish and Sir Bobby Robson. How ironic it would be if Bruce could succeed where they didn’t. The party on Tyneside would last for weeks.
MANCHESTER CITY
Arsenal (a), Tuesday
It’s been a feature of Manchester City’s spending policy that they prioritise building their squad rather than splashing out massively on one or two individuals. Their record signing (Ruben Dias) cost less than Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal have paid for players.
The fruits of their policy can be seen in their EFL Cup record. They have won the last three competitions because Pep Guardiola is able to rotate his team without any loss of effectiveness. If they achieve four-in-a-row this season, they will match the legendary Liverpool side of the early 1980s.
Such is the strength of Guardiola’s group, he didn’t use Phil Foden, Gabriel Jesus, Sergio Aguero, Fernandinho, Riyad Mahrez or Benjamin Mendy for the weekend win at Southampton. So any so-called weakened City side at The Emirates will still be mightily strong.
ARSENAL
Manchester City (h) Tuesday
Mikel Arteta will have a slightly different perspective to those clubs chasing a long-awaited trophy. He won the FA Cup in the summer at his first attempt but Arsenal’s current disastrous Premier League form means he needs more cup glory to secure his job.
The way Arteta outsmarted Manchester City and Chelsea to win at Wembley made Arsenal fans feel optimistic. But they have gone seven games without a win in the Premier League and sit only four points above the relegation zone.
To add to their troubles against City, star man Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang misses out with a calf injury, making Arsenal less effective as a counter-attacking team.
Lifting a second trophy in consecutive seasons will start to give Arteta the aura of a winner and may earn him more time to rebuild if The Gunners miss out on a European spot via the league. Beating his former mentor Pep Guardiola this week would be a good start.
MANCHESTER UNITED
Everton (a), Wednesday
Not since the dark early days of Sir Alex Ferguson (1986-90) have Manchester United gone so long without a trophy.
For all the good work being done by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, he is still looking for that first elusive piece of silverware and won’t want to end the season being known as the only United manager bar David Moyes to be empty-handed over the last 40 years.
Solskjaer has won prizes in Norway with Molde but he will be aware this is a step up. The club have taken major strides in 2020 with the signing of Bruno Fernandes in January proving a major catalyst.
It was significant Fernandes and Marcus Rashford were substituted early in the weekend victory against Leeds United. It shows how seriously Solskjaer and United are taking their quarter-final tie at Goodison Park.
TOTTENHAM
Stoke (a), Wednesday
Jose Mourinho was appointed with one over-riding priority in mind – to lift a trophy.
Tottenham haven’t added to their illustrious trophy cabinet since winning this competition in 2008 and for all Mauricio Pochettino’s fantastic work at the club, they crave that lap of honour with something tangible.
It is important for Mourinho too. He enjoys his worldwide reputation as a serial winner and the three-and-a-half years since he lifted the Europa League with Manchester United represents his longest barren run as a manager.
Two league defeats in a row have sobered any talk of a Premier League title charge so the EFL Cup is Spurs’ best chance, particularly as they face Championship opposition next.
Mourinho is a League Cup expert. He won it in his first season at Chelsea in 2005 and his first season at Manchester United (2017). This is his first full season at Spurs. Their fans will be aware of the pattern!
EVERTON
Manchester United (h), Wednesday
As a three-time Champions League winner and the only manager to lift the Double at Chelsea, Carlo Ancelotti is used to great success.
And the acclaim he received at AC Milan and Real Madrid will be matched on Merseyside if Everton skipper Seamus Coleman lifts the EFL Cup at Wembley at Easter.
It is now 25 years since Everton won a trophy, the FA Cup under Joe Royle, which staggering for a club who helped set up the Premier League as one of the five powerhouse clubs in English football.
These days, Evertonians get annoyed that Spurs are regarded as one of the Big Six at their expense. The first step to changing that is winning things and this is the first and best opportunity for Ancelotti.
They recently lost 3-1 at home to United in the league so expect the Italian to have a cunning plan up his sleeve. His side are in good form having won their last three games.
DON’T FORGET THE CHAMPIONSHIP OUTSIDERS!
There will be no shortage of motivation for Stoke City or Brentford this week as they are so close to Wembley.
Stoke, who have beaten Wolves and Aston Villa en route to Wednesday’s quarter-final at home to Spurs, have won only one major trophy in their history; the 1972 League Cup when World Cup winner Gordon Banks was their goalkeeper in the final against Chelsea.
Brentford, who meet Newcastle on Tuesday, have never won a major trophy. Their biggest successes have been divisional titles in the third and fourth divisions.