League Cup Odds: Can Pep Guardiola make history?

It may not sparkle the brightest of the wide assortment of honours crammed in Pep Guardiola’s 31-strong trophy cabinet, but England’s League Cup is the most populated with four winners' medals nestled away.

Only once in five seasons has Guardiola failed to get his hands on the League Cup; his trophyless first season. Last season he became the first ever manager to lift the trophy in four consecutive seasons and is the 3/1 favourite (Bet Victor) to catapult his tally to five this season.

Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea are next in the running at 6/1, followed by Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool (9/1), and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Man Utd (10/1). Meanwhile, Keith Curle’s Oldham are the 2,500/1 outsiders for glory...

Guardiola is now chasing records as he bids to become the most decorated manager in the competition’s history.

One more League Cup trophy will propel the Spaniard up onto five triumphs above the likes of Brian Clough, Sir Alex Ferguson, and Jose Mourinho. To do just that in the space of six seasons would be a superb achievement.

Guardiola’s 2021/22 League Cup journey gets underway at the Etihad tonight when Man City take on League One side Wycombe. The hosts, who are likely to field a much-changed starting-11, are unsurprisingly the 1/16 favourites for the victory whereas Gareth Ainsworth’s troops are priced at 35/1 to conjure up a stunning upset.

City remain the narrow favourites to retain the Premier League and are the market leaders in the betting to win both the Champions League and FA Cup.

In fact, Bet Victor have priced the Citizens at 239/1 to win the quadruple this season.

In 2018/2019 they won an unprecedented domestic treble, then last season they came close to the fabled quadruple again as they won the Premier League and League Cup, only to then finish runners-up in the Champions League, while they were knocked out of the FA Cup in the semi-finals.