League Cup big wins history suggest West Ham will recover some pride

It may, or may not, come as that much as a surprise to discover that first-leg batterings have been relatively scarce in the League Cup semi finals in the Premier League era.

Manchester City’s 6-0 decimation of West Ham at the Etihad means it will take a bigger comeback that Paul Lawrie making up a 10-shot deficit in the final round of the 1999 British Open or Liverpool winning the 2005 Champions League final if the Hammers are to reach the final.

Although this is nigh on impossible, it is not a foregone conclusion that West Ham cannot recover some pride with a second-leg victory, as some well-beaten first-leg teams have done in the past.

There are only two other examples of a first-leg victory by three or more goals since 2000, with Bolton beating Aston Villa 5-2 in 2004 and Tottenham defeating Burnley 4-1 in 2009.

However, in both instances, the beaten team gained a measure of revenge in the return, with Burnley winning 3-2 and Villa 2-0.

West Ham’s odds are 13/2 to beat Manchester City and Sam Allardyce has vowed to put out a first-choice team in the hope of regaining some pride.

Meanwhile, Man City will surely take the chance to give the majority of their first team a rest, as this is their second of three games in seven days.

It is 2/5 that Man City do beat West Ham and even if Manuel Pellegrini does predominantly select a second string, Sergio Aguero does deem destined to be handed a start.

Read here why Aguero should be backed at 3/1 to score first against West Ham.

Other potential bets worthy of consideration include the 23/10 that Man City score over 2.5 goals at Upton Park.

After all, they have scored 17 goals across their last four games and netted three goals or more in four of their last six on the road.

Furthermore, West Ham have conceded exactly three times in all of their Premier League home games against opposition currently residing in the top eight of the table and let in at least three in six of their last eight fixtures in all competitions.