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    Carabao Cup set to start BEFORE Premier League season to save competition with fixture chaos set to ensue

    THE Carabao Cup is set to kick off BEFORE the start of the new Premier League season in order to rescue the competition.
    EFL chiefs plan to schedule the opening matches ahead of the beginning of the next campaign, which is currently due to start on September 12.

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    Manchester City won the Carabao Cup this season Credit: Getty Images – Getty
    The Carabao Cup will either have the first round at the end of the August and the second round during the the international break at the start of September, when England travelling to Iceland for a Uefa Nations League game on the Saturday.
    Or, the first round will start on September 5, the day the Three Lions return to action.
    Some of the clubs who are set to play in Europe were hoping it would be scrapped altogether.
    But for the EFL the cup competition accounts for about a third of its income.

    Apart from the money- spinning Wembley final, the EFL also bank 10 per cent of gate receipts from each tie.
    There remains an issue over the teams who are to play in the Champions League and Europa League.
    If there is fixture clash, which will happen, they are likely to be allowed to field development teams.
    This is what happened when Liverpool were forced to field their Under-23s team at Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals when Jurgen Klopp’s first team were in Doha winning the Fifa Club World Cup.

    Many managers are happy for the games to be played before the start of the campaign as this will replace pre-season friendlies.
    Prem clubs will not have any issues playing over an international weekend in the second round, when they join the competition, as normally they would give run-outs to younger players anyway.
    Holders Manchester City come in at the third-round stage with the other teams who qualified for Europe.

    Clubs are also increasingly confident paying fans will be allowed for the start of the season.
    Depending on the stadium, around 25 to 30 per cent of capacities will be used.
    The Government will advise next week.

    Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp blasts decision to overturn Man City’s Champions League ban as ‘not a good day for football’ More

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    Aston Villa fans ‘fight among themselves’ inside Wembley stands during Carabao Cup final loss to Man City

    ASTON VILLA fans were filmed seemingly fighting among themselves in the stands at Wembley during yesterday’s Carabao Cup final defeat by Manchester City. Video footage emerged of a group of supporters in claret and blue apparently throwing punches towards each other. Aston Villa fans were filmed seemingly fighting among themselves at Wembley The supporters were […] More

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    Jack Grealish breaks down in tears on TV as Aston Villa star slumps on Wembley pitch after heartbreaking Man City loss

    JACK GREALISH slumped to the Wembley turf and broke down in tears at full-time of the heartbreaking Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester City. The Aston Villa hero, 24, was desperate to lead his boyhood club to their first major silverware since 1996 – when he was just six months old. Jack Grealish was in […] More

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    Aston Villa 1-2 Man City LIVE RESULT: Aguero and Rodri see of brave Villans in Carabao Cup final despite Stones howler

    MANCHESTER CITY lifted a third straight Carabao Cup despite a brilliant effort from Aston Villa. Sergio Aguero gave Pep Guardiola’s side the lead before Rodri headed in a second in a corner that should have been given as a goal kick to Villa. But Mbwana Samatta pulled one back for the Villans after they capitalised […] More

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    Aston Villa vs Man City LIVE: Stream, TV channel, teams and kick off time for Carabao Cup final 2020 match

    n All set. 👌#AVFC</a> #CarabaoCupFinal</a> pic.twitter.com/U2raxIFY68</a></p>n — Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) March 1, 2020</a></p></blockquote>n </script></div></p>n”,”raw”:” DRESS TO IMPRESS</strong></p> </p> Just half an hour until kick-off at Wembley…</p> </p> … and just half an hour more for the two clubs’ players to enjoy the national stadium’s impressive refurbished dressing rooms.</p> </p> https://twitter.com/AVFCOfficial/status/1234143608602648576?s=20 </p>”},”date”:{“timestamp”:1583078318,”date_formatted”:”1st March 2020″,”time_formatted”:”3:58 pm”},”author”:”Sam Street”,”avatar”:{“src”:”https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/1c32ce1499022dd059a9328f7c7368bd?s=96&d=mm&r=g”,”width”:30,”height”:30}},{“id”:”246866″,”type”:”new”,”post_id”:”11065513″,”css_classes”:”liveblog […] More

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    Carabao Cup betting tips: Goals galore in final between Man City and Aston Villa with Grealish on target – predictions

    THERE’S profit to be made as we look ahead to another bumper weekend of top-flight action. With the Premier League all-but tied up this weekend, we now look ahead to the Carabao Cup final between Manchester City and Aston Villa. Jack Grealish and his Aston Villa teammates have scored 19 goals in the Carabao Cup […] More