West Brom should not be dismissed at 15/8 (90 minutes) to send Liverpool (11/8, draw 12/5) packing from the Capital One Cup third round at The Hawthorns on Wednesday.
Key to this recommendation is the impressive home form of Steve Clarke’s men, having lost only twice in their own back yard since the end of February in all competitions. Already this season they have chalked up wins against the same opponents, in-form Everton and newcomers Reading – all to nil.
Clarke has also made some smart acquisitions in the form of striker Romelu Lukaku from his old club Chelsea, as well as midfield livewire Claudio Yacob and Markus Rosenberg from Werder Bremen.
Rosenberg will be hoping to break his duck for his new club if Lukaku is rested along with playmaker Zoltan Gera, while Shane Long, who made a positive impact when introduced as a substitute against Reading, could also be in line for a start.
The pair can be backed at 2/1 and 13/8 respectively in the Anytime Goalscorer market.
Chris Brunt said experience gained from the Premier League had given the players the understanding to get over the line and revealed he was enthused by the spirit in the camp.
The skipper told the official club website: “If you look across the squad, we’ve got a lot of Premier League experience and that speaks volumes in games like Saturday, when it’s scrappy and not free-flowing.
“We know how to win games and we did it again against Reading.”
Brendan Rodgers will have to dig deep into his already-depleted squad for the trip to the Black Country and the Capital One Cup is unlikely to feature near the top of his priority list.
The Northern Irishman is without Jonjo Shelvey, who starts a three-match ban following his red card against Manchester United, as well as long-term injury-victim Martin Kelly and fellow defender Dan Agger.
Fabio Borini is also unlikely to be risked because of a swollen ankle sustained in the 2-1 defeat by the club’s bitter rivals on an emotionally-charged afternoon on Sunday.
The former Swansea boss made a raft of changes for the Europa League last week and will not want to risk senior stars such as captain Steven Gerrard and striker Luis Suarez.
Curiously, the only away game Liverpool failed to score in so far this season was against West Brom, but, with so many changes planned, punters may decide they are worth taking on.
Want £200 Free? Click here to visit Bet365 and claim your free money.
Monday night’s clash at Emirates Stadium is a big one for both Arsenal and Wigan Athletic, but perhaps more so for the visiting Latics (Arsenal 7/2, draw 9/2, Wigan 10/1).