Wednesday 30 November 2016 13:39, UK
The EFL Cup returns to Sky Sports screens this week as Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United headline the quarter-final action.
Liverpool saw off Championship side Leeds United on Tuesday to reach the last four, while Arsenal and Manchester United will aim to keep their hopes alive on Wednesday, with Southampton and West Ham the respective opposition.
But which of the Premier League heavyweights needs the trophy most? We take a look at the case for each side…
Jurgen Klopp's side fell just short of League Cup glory last season as they were beaten on penalties by Manchester City in the final following a 1-1 draw after extra-time.
It was a bitter blow for Klopp, who hoped a piece of silverware might atone for a difficult first season in the Premier League. "You have to feel a defeat," he said afterwards. "You can't say it wasn't important because it was."
The Reds missed another chance to win their first trophy under Klopp when they were beaten by Sevilla in the Europa League final three months later, and those near misses put extra emphasis on this year's EFL Cup.
Liverpool didn't qualify for Europe last season, so domestic trophies are their sole focus. The Premier League is more competitive than ever with six teams vying for the title, so Klopp can ill-afford to take the EFL Cup lightly.
Leeds provided lively opposition but Divock Origi finally broke the deadlock before youngster Ben Woodburn struck to fire the Reds into the last four. It's already looking like an excellent chance for Klopp to break his trophy duck and for Liverpool to clinch their first piece of silverware since winning the same competition in 2012.
Arsenal have reached the League Cup final twice under Arsene Wenger but it remains the only domestic trophy to have eluded the Frenchman during his long reign in north London.
Like many managers, however, Wenger tends to use the competition as a platform to blood youngsters and give squad players game-time, and his attitude is unlikely to change this year.
Having ended their nine-year wait for silverware with back-to-back FA Cups in 2014 and 2015, Wenger's side are now focused on the bigger targets.
The Gunners are aiming to clinch their first Premier League crown since 2004 in an open title race, and they are also gearing up for another crack at the Champions League knockout stages having qualified form their group with two games to spare.
The EFL Cup may be the more realistic target for Arsenal, but it does not carry the same significance as the bigger trophies on offer, and it's fair to say they don't need it quite as much as they did before 2014.
Most United supporters would have given the EFL Cup short shrift at the start of the season, but their faltering Premier League title challenge has given it extra weight.
Jose Mourinho's side were seen as one of the title favourites in pre-season, but they are now rated as outsiders by Sky Bet having fallen nine points off the pace. There's still a long way to go, of course, but winning the EFL Cup is certainly the easier route to silverware.
An early trophy would also ease the pressure on Mourinho. The Portuguese has cut a frustrated figure for much of the season, but winning the first available piece of silverware would ease the angst surrounding their stuttering start.
Some of Mourinho's critics have likened some of his recent behaviour to the last few months of his Chelsea tenure, when he repeatedly hit out at his players and match officials, but picking up a trophy so early in the season would be the perfect way dispel any lingering doubts.
United are not out of the title race and they are going strongly in the Europa League. The EFL Trophy is not the No 1 priority, but winning the competition would still mean a lot as Mourinho aims to take United back to the glory years.
With Klopp and Mourinho looking to kick-start their tenures with their first trophies, this year's EFL Cup is probably more important to Liverpool and Manchester United.
Wenger, on the other hand, knows his legacy depends on Premier League and Champions League success. Arsenal eased the clamour for silverware with their FA Cup wins, now the challenge is to win the bigger prizes.
