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Capital One Cup third round by numbers: Liverpool v Middlesbrough & Tottenham v Nottingham Forest

As the Premier League meets the Championship, how do the stats add up for Liverpool, Tottenham, Nottingham Forest and Middlesbrough? Could there be an upset at Anfield or White Hart Lane?

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LIVERPOOL V MIDDLESBROUGH

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When? Tuesday, 7.45pm
Where? Anfield
How Can I Watch It? Live on Sky Sports 1HD

Liverpool’s players and manager have made no secret of the fact they want to win a trophy this season but an anxious start to their campaign, losing three out of five Premier League games, means they will not host Championship outfit Middlesbrough with full confidence. 

And although the Anfield club have a 75 per cent record of qualifying from the third round of the League Cup in the past 12 seasons, two of their three eliminations in that time have been to lower league opposition (Northampton 2010/11 and Crystal Palace 2005/06).

Xabi Alonso
Image: Xabi Alonso's own goal in 2009

Middlesbrough, who sit fifth in the Sky Bet Championship with 15 points from eight games, have a dreadful record at Anfield but they can at least take some solace from the fact they won when they last met Liverpool and also beat this week's opponents in the 1997/98 League Cup semi-finals.

A Xabi Alonso own goal and a Tuncay effort gave the home side victory at The Riverside in the Premier League in February 2009 in a season which saw Liverpool finish second while Middlesbrough were relegated.

Sky Bet Say...

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“While Liverpool are sure to be popular in Tuesday night’s accumulators, plenty will be tempted by in-form Middlesborough at 7/1. Captain Grant Leadbitter also looks massive value in the first goalscorer market at 18/1, having taken his tally to seven in all competitions in Saturday’s 4-0 Sky Bet Championship victory over Brentford. Goals are forecast with over 3.5, which was the cases in both sides’ weekend clashes, 5/4.”

Bet on Tuesday Night's match with Sky Bet

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR V NOTTINGHAM FOREST

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When? Wednesday, 7.45pm
Where? White Hart Lane
How Can I Watch It? Live on Sky Sports 1HD

These two have cup history, having contested the 1991 FA Cup final when Tottenham came out on top after extra time, but Spurs will know that will count for nothing if their current poor form continues.

As they prepare to welcome Championship table-toppers Forest to White Hart Lane, the London club, who are ninth in the Premier League, have not won in four games in all competitions and were booed off after Sunday’s defeat by West Bromwich Albion.

Forest will therefore hope to bury their recent poor record in the League Cup third round as they aim to make it four wins out of their last four games against Spurs in the competition.

Robbie Keane
Image: Robbie Keane celebrates in 2005

The most recent of those matches came in December 1992 when Roy Keane and Ian Woan scored in a 2-0 win.

Spurs, though, were comfortable winners when they last met Forest in any competition as Noe Pamarot, Robbie Keane and Mido all scored second-half goals in a 3-0 FA Cup replay win in March 2005.

Sky Bet Say…

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“We are expecting punters to take on Tottenham and back Forest at 5/1. A much-changed Spurs side is likely following Sunday’s 1-0 defeat by West Brom but they also failed to net against Partizan Belgrade, from which Hugo Lloris was the only surviving member of the first XI. Sky Bet Championship leaders Forest are 10/1 to win to nil and 13/2 for a victory in which Britt Assombalonga, who already has eight goals to his name this season, finds the net.”

Bet on Wednesday night's match with Sky Bet

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