Liverpool v Chelsea: Barcola backed at 3.25 in EFL Cup quarter-final clash

Liverpool host Chelsea at Anfield on Thursday, 28 October 2026 at 20:00 GMT, with a place in the EFL Cup quarter-finals at stake. The Reds have won their past four matches in all competitions, while Chelsea must respond after a 2-0 defeat by Tottenham. Cameroonian sports betting expert and journalist Arthur Wandji has outlined his selections for the match.

Liverpool’s recent form includes a 4-3 victory over Villarreal in the UEFA Champions League and a 2-0 win against Brighton in the Premier League. They have regularly created chances and shown quality in attack, although their defence has conceded 10 goals across their past five matches.

The home side will look to establish control early at Anfield and take another step towards the last eight. Their recent record is listed as V/V/V/V/D, while their four-match winning run is the longest of the two teams’ current sequences.

Chelsea arrive with a less consistent record of D/V/V/D/N. They scored six times in a 6-3 victory over Leeds in the previous round, but defeats by Brentford, 3-0, and Tottenham, 2-0, have highlighted defensive weaknesses.

Cole Palmer is suspended and is expected to miss the game, which could affect Chelsea’s creativity. The availability of several other players remains uncertain before kick-off. To progress, the visitors will need to be more efficient in the final third and cope better with Liverpool’s attacking transitions.

Recent meetings and key statistics

The sides have generally produced closely fought encounters, with periods of control shared between them. Their last meeting at Anfield, on 9 May 2026, ended 1-1.

Across the past five meetings, Liverpool have recorded two wins, Chelsea have also won twice and one match has been drawn. Liverpool have scored at least twice in four of their last five games, including six against LASK and four against Villarreal.

The available statistical selections include Liverpool to score more than 1.5 goals at 1.79, both teams to score at 1.4, more than 2.5 goals at 1.44 and more than 9.5 corners at 1.62. The recommended exact score is 2-1 at 9.

Expert selections

Bradley Barcola is priced at 3.25 to score. He netted a hat-trick in Liverpool’s 6-3 win over LASK and then assisted Alexander Isak against Brighton. His pace and ability to attack space could prove important against a Chelsea defence that may be changed for the cup tie, although the selection depends on him starting.

More than 9.5 corners is priced at 1.62. Liverpool’s wide players can create repeated crossing opportunities, while Chelsea have enough attacking threat to force the hosts to defend and concede set pieces.

The option for the match to reach 1-1 at some stage is priced at 2.16. Both teams possess attacking strengths, and their previous meeting at Anfield finished with that score. The odds may change.