Manchester United and Manchester City face off at Old Trafford, while Leicester City welcome Aston Villa to the King Power Stadium as two derbies will decide the Carabao Cup Semi-Finals. Who’ll go into the second legs in three weeks’ time with a crucial advantage? We look at the reasons why there might be blue ribbons on the EFL Cup trophy at the end of February.

Manchester United vs. Manchester City – Tuesday January 7th , 8:00 pm GMT kick-off

When Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial both scored at The Etihad Stadium just a few weeks ago, not only did it derail Manchester City’s creaking title challenge, but it confirmed that The Red Devils had some life in them yet. Clearly, that life still burns in English football’s most successful domestic club, and while the EFL Cup may not be the title or the Champions League, a springboard of marked success this early in Solskjaer’s tenancy would put the Old Trafford club on the right course.

Success against Pep Guardiola’s Citizens will not be easy, of course, and first legs are often tense, tight affairs. That may not be the case on Tuesday evening at Old Trafford, purely for one of the two reasons these sides are so good to watch against each other. United play on the counter attack with devastating pace, drawing out their illustrious quarry before springing the trap and attacking at pace.