A competition that previously divided opinion found itself at the heart of further debate this season with the late start adding to the fixture congestion.

The Carabao Cup is seen as an inconvenience by some while others view it as a genuine chance to win some silverware; that is until Manchester City turn up and claim a trophy they have made their own under Pep Guardiola's guidance.

That is one of City's many strengths. They can rotate their squad in this tournament, playing a second string most of the time, and still celebrate on the Wembley turf. It's a chance for honours and they more often than not take it. Given their summer recruitment that case for success here only gets stronger but at a general price of 5/2 there is simply no value in backing the current holders in a knockout tournament placed in the midst of a hectic schedule.

Carabao Cup 2020/21 schedule

• Third Round: 22nd-24th September
• Fourth Round: 29th-30th September
• Fifth Round: 22nd-23rd December
• Semi-Finals: 5th-6th January
• Final: 28th February

The positive news for many is that once this quick blitz of fixtures is over across September the cup won't return until the days just before Christmas. Single leg semi-finals will also help; those who place priority on this tournament at the beginning of the season will certainly benefit from it in the long run.

So while the Premier League and European qualification are ongoing in the opening month of the new campaign, this new schedule means it may well be worth looking at fielding strong line-ups because of how separated the rounds are. Plus, for those who have started well, games coming in quick succession can only help the momentum.

This takes us to LEICESTER, a side who have pushed but not quite reached the final of the Carabao Cup in recent years. The last three seasons has brought two quarter-final appearances and a semi-final defeat to Aston Villa.

They've started the new campaign in the best way possible with two wins; scoring seven goals and conceding two in the process. Even with the Europa League involvement this season, the Carabao Cup always feels like a good opportunity for a club like Leicester, just on the outskirts of the top-four, to add a trophy to the cabinet.

What we have seen from Brendan Rodgers in his selection is that he takes this competition seriously. Contests against fellow Premier League sides last season brought virtually a full-strength line-up with a few tweaks and you imagine he's likely to go the same this year, particularly with their third and fourth round fixtures.