Liverpool v Swansea: Grim prospects for Swans on Merseyside

Brendan Rodgers faces his former club for the first time since leaving in the summer to take the reins at Anfield and, after a slow start with his new team, will be looking for some Capital One Cup success to help win over any doubting fans.

This tie will probably be used as a platform for Liverpool’s second-string to showcase their talents as their third round clash with West Brom was but, such is the strength their ranks boast, five full internationals took to the field in a 2-1 win. They’re 4/9 to repeat the feat and beat Swansea inside 90 minutes in this one.

Encouragingly from the home team’s perspective, Rodgers has never lost any of the six games he’s taken charge of against former employers, beating Reading three times in as many matches in the 2010/11 season.

The Swans look likely to be the next club to have Rodgers come back to haunt them from the opposing dugout, having lost three successive Premier League away matches, failing to find the back of the net in all of them.

This makes the 6/4 for a home win to-nil a very tempting prospect for punters, especially when you consider the fact that Liverpool had shut out three sides in succession, beating two of them, prior to the Merseyside derby last time.

It’s 5/4 for them to keep Swansea at bay in this one, while the goal-scoring problems that have plagued the Reds all season, make the 11/10 on offer for there to be under 2.5 goals scored here well worth backing.

If the south Wales side are to beat Brad Jones in the Liverpool goal, their recent exploits in the final third suggest it will happen after the break. Six of their last seven goals have been notched post half time and the 2/1 that says they’ll get more in the second 45 this time around is worth a bet if you fancy them to be on target at all.

All odds and markets accurate as of publication’s time and date