Capital One Cup 2015: 3rd-Round Fixtures and Schedule for Tuesday's Matches
Rotation will be on the mind of England's top coaches as the Premier League big guns enter the Capital One Cup at the third-round stage.
Eight top-division teams start their quest for cup silverware on Tuesday night, with Manchester City leading the charge from the elite clubs.
City face the badly out-of-form Sunderland at the Stadium of Light—but as the competition has shown in the past, poor league performance doesn't stop a Capital One Cup shock from manifesting.
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A second all-Premier League affair is also played on Tuesday, as high-flying Leicester City welcome away-day specialists West Ham United. The east London side have been irresistible on their travels, beating City, Liverpool and Arsenal in the Premier League.
A bitter local derby also takes place in the Midlands, as Aston Villa face off against Championship hopefuls Birmingham City.
Read on for a full set of Tuesday's third-round games, including schedule information:
| 7.45 p.m. | Middlesbrough | vs. | Wolverhampton Wanderers |
| 7.45 p.m. | Hull City | vs. | Swansea City |
| 7.45 p.m. | Leicester City | vs. | West Ham United |
| 7.45 p.m. | Aston Villa | vs. | Birmingham City |
| 7.45 p.m. | Fulham | vs. | Stoke City |
| 7.45 p.m. | Sunderland | vs. | Manchester City |
| 7.45 p.m. | Preston North End | vs. | Bournemouth |
| 8 p.m. | Reading | vs. | Everton |
Sunderland v Manchester City
It is difficult to gauge exactly where the Capital One Cup stands in Manchester City's list of priorities, but it certainly isn't very high.
The team who have won two of the last four Premier League crowns have bigger fish to fry, but after a shock home losses to Juventus and West Ham, City do not want to lose a third match in a week.
Sky Blues manager Manuel Pellegrini spoke about his team's current predicament as they look to return to winning ways—at the home of the Black Cats, per Tom Webber of Goal.com:
"In the last two games we didn't play with the concentration or intensity we had shown in the first five games. We never believed we had won the title after just five games – we just always focus on the next game. It was a difficult week with the Champions League and then losing today [Saturday]. There's a long time to go and we must show a good reaction on Tuesday.
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As Champions League commitments weigh heavy on the mind of Pellegrini, Sunderland boss Dick Advocaat will be aware his side need a rest after a dreadful start to the campaign. Tuesday is an opportunity for both managers to shuffle the pack, and bring in a host of players who rarely get starts.
Chris Young of the Sunderland Echo cites the Dutch coach claiming he will ring the changes, and will give a first start to Tottenham Hotspur loanee DeAndre Yedlin:
"I was already expecting to let DeAndre play, but I will certainly try some positions with different players. Maybe we have to start with totally different type of players because we’re playing in quite an attacking way. They need wins. The new players have to win a game, otherwise other people start moaning and I can understand that. On Saturday, they did not show me that they wanted to play. Not just the new ones, everyone.
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City are expected to be without primary talents David Silva and Vincent Kompany, both carrying knocks, per Webber. The visitors could give starts to Kelechi Iheanacho, Patrick Roberts and Spanish full-back Pablo Maffeo, per BBC Sport, as Pellegrini looks to save the legs of his more-prized assets.
Despite the gulf in class, the Black Cats have an excellent home record in the League Cup, winning six of their last seven ties, according to BBC Sport, and scoring 19 goals. However, City have hit the back of the net on 16 consecutive occasions in the tournament—away from the Etihad—suggesting this tie could be a highly entertaining spectacle.
Aston Villa v Birmingham City
It's one of England's great derby rivalries, with the feeling of bitterness always prevalent between the fans of Aston Villa and Birmingham.
The Villans have had a disappointing start under manager Tim Sherwood after promising signs last term, but a win against the Blues will go a long way to restoring morale and confidence.
Sherwood spoke of the importance of the match, as reported by Jamie Jackson of the Guardian, and highlighted he didn't want to lose a third Midlands derby on the bounce:
"It will be intense. It’s a big game and one I think they can handle. We tell the players that this means an awful lot and it’s not just a normal game. You can only do it by talking to them. The experienced players in our dressing room who have experienced derbies can also help them along with that. I am telling them it means an awful lot to the fans and it means an awful lot to the dressing room. I just think you need to keep focused and keep to your plan. You need to impose yourself on a very organised Birmingham City side.
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Villa looked in good shape at the back end of last season, but the sales of Christian Benteke and Fabian Delph have hamstrung the first team. They lack the verve and energy Sherwood requires, and it's going to be incredibly difficult for the former Spurs boss to get a song out of the current band.
Blues skipper Michael Morrison is ready to lead his side to a shock win over their fierce rivals, saying, per Jackson: “It will be an evening for cool heads, obviously people are going to be getting excited and want to put in challenges, work hard and show all the fans they care as well – which they all do.”
This type of cup game is very dangerous for the Villa Park club, but reverse psychology dictates that a win for the home side would kick-start their campaign.
Sherwood proved last year his team has true cup credentials, with a string of good performances, but a loss to the Championship side will cause many to question his tenure as coach.
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