Liverpool vs Arsenal betting tips

Undoubtedly the pick of the quarter-final Carling Cup ties is at Anfield on Tuesday night when Liverpool entertain Arsenal. The Reds have met the north London side a dozen times in this competition and hold sway having won five of the matches in question compared to Arsenal's three wins. The Gunners' coach, Arsene Wenger, is pretty open about the fact that this competition is of little importance to his side, and the Frenchman is likely to field an understrength side, possibly pairing Jeremie Aliadiere up front with Theo Walcott. Lauren may be back in the mix after undergoing knee surgery, but William Gallas and Tomas Rosicky have niggles and are unlikely to make the trip to Merseyside, while Emmanuel Eboue will also be rested. Meanwhile Thierry Henry and Freddie Ljungberg are both out until the New Year. As for Pool, Bolo Zenden, Mohamed Sissoko and Harry Kewell are ruled out through injury. However, Rafa Benitez is not short of resources in terms of the strength of his squad and his charges look poised to enhance their favourable record further against Arsenal in this competition. Liverpool have lifted this cup on 12 occasions and Benitez has expressed a desire to try and win the Carling Cup, something which will be reflected in his starting XI selection. Sadly from a punting perspective, this is also reflected in the match result betting - Liverpool are a best-priced 17/20 in this market. But there is value to be had. Firstly, the prodigal son, Robbie Fowler, is too good to miss at 9/4 with Coral in the anytime goalscorer market. Fowler has a sound goalscoring record against the Gunners and, above all, boasts a phenomenal record in this competition, scoring 30 times in 37 appearances. Hopefully, to aid the prospects of this bet, Fowler will figure in the starting line-up. However, Whether this is the case or not, I'd be surprised if he wasn't to feature at some point. The fact that Ladbrokes go 5/4 about him in the anytime goalscorer market underlines the value of Coral's offering. Perhaps the best bet, though, is the 7/5 available with Bet Direct about Liverpool keeping a clean sheet. Pool have conceded just three times in nine Premiership matches at Anfield this season - and their solid, experienced defence will prove a tough collective nut for Arsenal's young guns to crack. Don't get me wrong, the likes of Aliadiere and Walcott are prodigious talents who possess unlimited potential. But there is unlikely to be a great deal of cohesion about the side that Wenger fields in this encounter, and that lack of experience of playing together will prove to be their undoing.Verdict - 2pts Robbie Fowler in the anytime goalscorer market @ 9/4 (Coral)- 2.5pts Liverpool to keep a clean sheet @ 7/5 (Betinternet)