<p><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/the-history-of-manchester-united-vs-manchester-city-gary-james-interview-video-20130406-CMS-52551.html">Manchester City</a> booked their place in the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/league-cup-tv-schedule/">Carabao Cup</a> quarterfinals on Thursday night by beating Liverpool, 3-2. It was a thrilling match involving five different goal-scorers. However, it was City’s midfield maestro, Kevin De Bruyne, who ran the show.</p>



<p>Prior to the match, tensions were high between the two clubs. In fact, both teams, along with fan groups, <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/liverpool-and-manchester-city-hold-meeting-to-ease-tension-20221216-WST-412513.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">scheduled a meeting</a> during the World Cup break to ease pressure surrounding the game. Outside of one small dust up between Fabinho and Rodri in the second half, tempers did not flare much on the pitch. Both players were booked for their parts in the shoving match.</p>



<h5>Haaland strikes yet again</h5>



<p>Superstar striker Erling Haaland predictably opened the scoring in the game. And it took him less than 10 minutes to do so. The City forward got the better of Joe Gomez to net his 24th goal of the current campaign. Haaland has only featured in 18 total games this season.</p>



<p>Liverpool quickly fought back with a goal just 10 minutes later though. Fabio Carvalho passed the ball neatly into the back of the net after good work from James Milner and Joel Matip.</p>



<p>Riyad Mahrez gave City the lead once again just two minutes into the second half. The Algeria international scored thanks to a fantastic first touch and perfect finish into the bottom corner of the net. </p>



<p>However, Liverpool once again quickly scored to level the game again just one minute later. Mohamed Salah scored one of his easiest goals of the current campaign after a nice run down the flank by Darwin Núñez. All the Egyptian had to do was <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNFC/status/1606034560046616577" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">direct the shot</a> into a wide open City goal.</p>



<h2>Aké finds City winner over Liverpool in Carabao Cup</h2>



<p>City regained the lead, this time for good, just 10 minutes later. Center back Nathan Ake placed a header back across Liverpool’s goal and into the net. De Bruyne put in a perfect cross for the goal. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">De Bruyne puts it on a plate for Nathan Ake 🎯 <a href="https://t.co/4yYZOAAEXQ">pic.twitter.com/4yYZOAAEXQ</a></p>— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNFC/status/1606037140390809600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2022</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<p>The Belgium international may not have scored, but he did pick up two assists in the match. Along with the assists, De Bruyne also racked up five total key passes as well.</p>



<p>Liverpool’s loss means that there will be a new Carabao Cup winner this season. The Reds previously collected the cup back in February. Prior to Liverpool’s success last season, City won four consecutive Carabao Cup titles.</p>



<p><em>PHOTO: IMAGO / PA Images</em></p>


Man City advance in Carabao Cup after beating Liverpool

Kevin De Bruyne collected two assists on Thursday as Manchester City beat Liverpool to advance to the Carabao Cup quarterfinals.

<p>Fans of upsets, drama and intrigue will relish the thought that a winter <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/category/world-cup-2022/">World Cup</a> could create an unpredictable Premier League</p>



<p>Of all the stories that fans of the English Premier League like to tell ourselves, it’s the one about its unpredictable nature that you’ll hear most. </p>



<p>We relish in rolling out phrases like ‘anyone can beat anyone’ or ‘all of the big six are in with a chance this year’.</p>



<p>The truth, however, is slightly less exciting.</p>



<p>For all the one-off upsets and heroic underdog efforts from newly promoted sides, barring once-in-a-lifetime Leicester-style victory, we all know fairly well who’ll end up in the top six positions, which five teams will be in the relegation battle and which others will make up ‘the rest’.</p>



<p>At lest that’s usually the case. </p>



<p>This season there will be a genuine disrupting factor that threatens to add a true sense of unpredictability to proceedings: a winter World Cup.</p>



<h5>Winter World Cup Could Create Chaos </h5>



<p>How teams navigate the post-tournament section of the season is going to be a fascinating addition to the league, with the potential to inject some new chaos into games after Christmas.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">⚫️⚪️ REPORT: A winter World Cup is the only thing that can stop <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NUFC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NUFC</a> at the minute – third at the Premier League shutdown, and within two points of Man City….<a href="https://t.co/RymCk2uqaY">https://t.co/RymCk2uqaY</a></p>— Scott Wilson (@Scottwilsonecho) <a href="https://twitter.com/Scottwilsonecho/status/1591517822299082759?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 12, 2022</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<p>Firstly, there’s the fatigue factor. With the Premier League soaking up a large chunk of the global talent, a number of clubs will expect to see their star players’ involvement continue deep into the tournament. </p>



<p>The league’s notoriously relentless schedule and its inability to compromise when it comes to fixture pile-ups means an awful lot of footballers are going to have an awful lot of football in their legs going into the key latter stages of the season.</p>



<p>While some clubs are well-prepped to lean on the depth of their squad, those without significant back-up may see results suffer. </p>



<p>It might not be as clear-cut as you may think. Manchester City have the most talented squad but also one of the smallest, Wolves may be struggling domestically but that doesn’t mean their Portuguese-heavy squad won’t be going far in the World Cup. </p>



<p>One or two injuries to key players has the potential to significantly alter a team’s season.</p>



<p>The reverse is also true. Will there be a benefit to teams whose key players won’t be making the trip to Qatar? </p>



<p>The obvious names here are City’s <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/2022/09/17/erling-haaland-on-pace-to-smash-premier-league-goal-record/">Haaland</a> and Liverpool’s Salah but there’s a host of influential players scattered throughout the league who’ll be staying at home. </p>



<p>Arsenal will be hoping that the absences of Odegaard, Tierney, Zinchenko and a fit-again Emile Smith-Rowe will help maintain their title push, while out-of-form </p>



<p>Chelsea having Reece James, Ben Chilwell, Aubameyang, Chalobah, Loftus-Cheek and Ziyech all missing out could see their chances of clinching a top four spot boosted.</p>



<h5>Mental toll of winter world cup</h5>



<p>A less tangible factor than injuries or physical fatigue will be the <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2022/11/04/fifa-treating-players-like-cattle-winter-world-cup-appalling/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tournament’s mental toll</a>. Will the domestic league suffer from a motivational drop-off by some of its stars? </p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The timing <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WorldCup2022?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WorldCup2022</a> is a joke, the top players are getting treated like cattle. <br><br> <a href="https://t.co/Y3TkFgJsIg">https://t.co/Y3TkFgJsIg</a></p>— Jamie Carragher (@Carra23) <a href="https://twitter.com/Carra23/status/1588496408734154757?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 4, 2022</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<p>How will teams cope with the inevitable come down that players will suffer after the highs that tournament football brings. </p>



<p>Will commitment to rainy mid-week games really be match those of pre-tournament ones, when players were fighting for places in their nations’ squad?</p>



<p>And what of managers? Those tasked with staying behind with players who won’t be flying halfway across the word? </p>



<p>Clubs with new managers are suddenly gifted an extra period of bedding-in time, meaning Chelsea’s Potter, Brighton’s De Zerbi, Wolves’s Lopetegui, Villa’s Emery and Southampton’s Jones will be afforded an month to hone their tactics without the pressure of producing in-game performances. </p>



<p>A mini pre-season of sorts so rarely enjoyed by mid-season appointments.</p>



<p>There will be permutations at both ends of the league with none of the 20 sides unaffected by the sudden and untimely break in the season. </p>



<p>However strong each factor proves and whatever the outcome, what we can be sure of for certain is that the second half of this season will bring some genuine unpredictability to the Premier League, and that can be no bad thing.</p>



<p><em>Photo credit: IMAGO / PA Images</em></p>


Winter World Cup could create an unpredictable Premier League

A winter World Cup will create Premier League unpredictability due to the physical and mental toll players will face

Winter World Cup could create an unpredictable Premier League - World Soccer Talk

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Man City advance in Carabao Cup after beating Liverpool

Leagues: EPL

Winter World Cup could create an unpredictable Premier League