Everton v Man Utd EFL Cup predictions: free betting tips and where to watch

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Everton v Manchester United in the EFL Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday.

Where to watch

Sky Sports Football & Main Event, 8pm, Wednesday

Best bet

Everton to qualify
2pts 13-10 Paddy Power

Team news

Everton
Lucas Digne, Allan, Fabian Delph, Jean-Philippe Gbamin and James Rodriguez are sidelined and Andre Gomes (hamstring) is a doubt.

Manchester United
Scott McTominay (groin) is highly doubtful to play, as is Luke Shaw. Paul Pogba, Edinson Cavani and Donny van de Beek could be handed a starting berth.

Match preview

What a difference a few weeks can make in football.

When Manchester United travelled to Everton on November 7, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's future was again on a knife-edge after consecutive defeats in an underwhelming start to the campaign.

Fast forward 47 days and the Red Devils are being talked about as Premier League title contenders and are two matches away from a Wembley final.

United were 3-1 victors at Goodison Park in that November encounter, sparking a run of six wins in seven Premier League matches to catapult themselves into third place with a game in hand.

That fixture wasn't just a turning point for United. Everton were losing for the third time in a row that day but they have responded with four wins and a draw in their subsequent six matches and look to be returning to something near the form which helped them win their first seven matches of the season.

The League Cup represents a real opportunity for Everton to win their first piece of silverware since they lifted the FA Cup in 1995.

Liverpool and Chelsea are out and only one of Arsenal and Manchester City will be in the semi-final draw. Tottenham and Newcastle were the other two top-flight teams in the quarter-finals.

The two sides have amassed the same number of points in the Premier League this season and at 13-10 to make the last four the Toffees make more appeal.

For all the attacking might they have displayed in recent weeks, there are still huge concerns over the solidity of the Red Devils' backline.

They have kept just two clean sheets in their last 12 matches in all competitions and, barring when they scored twice inside the first three minutes against Leeds on Sunday, they have been infuriatingly slow starters for much of the campaign.

It is testament to their powers of recovery that they have been able to give opponents a head start in matches, especially on the road, and still win but Everton aren't likely to be as charitable as they were in November and the hosts haven't had to endure as punishing a schedule as United have since that date.

The visitors have played nine times to the Toffees' six since the last time they met and Solskjaer is likely to make some changes to the side who hit Leeds for six given the punishing fixture list.

Everton counterpart Carlo Ancelotti says he will name his strongest available side with the chance to end the Toffees' trophy drought at the forefront of his mind.

Key stat

Manchester United have kept only two clean sheets in 11 attempts on their travels this term.

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