Burnley hoping for more traditional London generosity

Burnley/Arsenal, 7.45, Sky Sports 1, Best Odds, Free Bets

Burnley fans may be forgiven for thinking that if they can embarrass Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, then they are capable of separating any Premier League scalp from its overpaid cranium. And well they might, at least according to the bookies, who have Burnley at a ridiculously short 7/2 to win tonight. Before they start to get their hopes up of wiping the smirks off the faces of Wenger’s feral kids, however, here are five sobering points to remind them what they are up against.

Arsenal don’t often wobble outside their division

Arsenal haven’t been giant-killed in the League Cup since they were beaten 3-1 by Oldham (also from Lancs, pattern fans) on November 22, 1989/90. At the time Oldham were sixth in the old Division Two (Burnley are currently fourth). That season, Oldham made it to the final, where they lost 1-0 to Forest.

Even when small teams have come close, they fall at the final hurdle

Since that humiliating defeat to Oldham, Arsenal have had a few other close shaves against lower league opposition in the league cup. They needed penalties to beat Rotherham, Sheffield United and Doncaster in consecutive years between 2003/4 and 2005/6.

Arsenal are a good league cup side

Arsenal have made it to at least the semi-final round of the league cup in four of the last five years. In the other year (2004/5) they lost 1-0 at Manchester United in round five.

Burnley are not a good league cup side

Burnley haven’t been beyond the fourth round since 1982-83 when they lost to Liverpool in the semi-finals. Although they won the second leg 1-0 at Turf Moor, they had already lost 3-0 at Anfield, and at the end of that season also went down from old Div 2.

History says Burnley’s fun for the year is over

Beating one of the Big Four in the league cup is an achievement, beating two of them in the same season is extremely rare. Only three teams have done it since the Premier League began, all of them, sadly for Burnley, also Premier League teams. Spurs did it in 1998/99, winning 3-1 at Liverpool and 3-1 at home to United; Villa did it in 1993/94, winning 1-0 at Arsenal and beating Utd 3-1 in the final; and Palace did it in 1992/93, when they beat Liverpool at home 2-1 in a replay and Chelsea 3-1, also at home. From the lower leagues, Ipswich nearly did it in 1997/98, when they beat United, but then lost to Chelsea on penalties.

Posted: December 2nd, 2008 by Ed Needham |