National cups are something special for many teams and supporters. Today's match will decide whether it's Stevenage or Arsenal U21 that keep their silverware dream alive.
There’s little time for restitution or working hard at the training pitch these days, with both teams having played their last game less than four days ago.
Stevenage form and stats
Stevenage have not come this way in the EFL Trophy without some hard work on the way, more precisely defeating Wycombe Wanderers, Tottenham U21 and Peterborough United. Last season, Stevenage's EFL Trophy journey ended in the 2nd round.8-0-1 is the performance here at The Lamex Stadium so far in the League Two, giving Stevenage a total of 24 from their 9 games here. Outstanding results!
Stevenage shared the glory with Grimsby Town in their last match, an away game that ended all square 1-1. Sweeney, defender, was given a rating of 7.15/10 in that game, top of the team. Sweeney won 8 of 13 duels.
Previous to that game, a League Two home match hosting Hartlepool United in a game that was won 1-0.The bookmakers consider this a fairly even contest. One could say only the home advantage separates the teams. It could be relevant to look at how Stevenage have performed in matches similar to this (as small favourites). Our database has found 10 matches with the results: Won 5, drawn 2 and lost 3.
Stevenage are traveling soon after this match as the FA Cup match at King's Lynn Town awaits in four days.
The Stevenage fans have had their share of opportunities to cheer home goals this season, having seen 15 goals in 9 league matches. From these home matches, Stevenage have conceded only 5 goals.
Arsenal U21 form and stats
The traveling awayteam has defeated Northampton Town, Ipswich Town and Cambridge United in order to reach 2nd round of EFL Trophy. They also participated in EFL Trophy last season. This ended in the quarter-finals.Playing away, Arsenal U21 have won 2 games, drawn 3 and suffered 0 defeats in the Premier League 2 Division One this season.
Arsenal delivered a 1-1 draw playing at home against Stoke City U21 in their previous match; a Premier League Cup duel.
Prior to that match, a home win 3-1 against Everton U21 in the Premier League 2 Division One.There might be some complaints about the fixture list from the Arsenal U21 manager Ali as the team has another away game coming up in only four days, this time against Swansea City U21.
Arsenal U21 are not goal shy away from home in the league, finding the net 8 times in 5 away games so far. It's worth mentioning that 5 of these goals has been scored in their last three away matches. Arsenal have conceded 6 goals in these away matches. It's worth mentioning that 3 of these goals has been conceded in their last three away matches.
Head 2 Head
Top Goalscorers
  J. Roberts 5 goals |  D. Rose 5 goals | L. Norris 'Hacker' 4 goals |
Stevenage missing players
Arsenal U21 missing players
| Stevenage | Arsenal U21 | ||||||
| Total | Home | Statistics | Stat | Away | Total | ||
| 25 | 13 | Played | P | 16 | 25 | ||
| 17 | 11 | Won | W | 6 | 12 | ||
| 5 | 1 | Drew | D | 6 | 9 | ||
| 3 | 1 | Lost | L | 4 | 4 | ||
| 37 | 21 | Scored | S | 25 | 48 | ||
| 20 | 6 | Conceded | C | 23 | 32 | ||
| 100% | 100% | Over 0.5 | O 0.5 | 94% | 96% | ||
| 68% | 54% | Over 1.5 | O 1.5 | 88% | 92% | ||
| 44% | 38% | Over 2.5 | O 2.5 | 56% | 60% | ||
| 8% | 8% | Over 3.5 | O 3.5 | 38% | 44% | ||
| 8% | 8% | Over 4.5 | O 4.5 | 12% | 20% | ||
| 52% | 31% | BTTS | BTTS | 69% | 80% | ||
| 40% | 69% | Clean Sheets | C S | 12% | 8% | ||
| 8% | 0% | Failed to Score | F T | 25% | 16% | ||
| 5.4 | 6.2 | Corners for (avg) | C F | 4.4 | 4.5 | ||
| 3.8 | 3.6 | Corners against (avg) | C A | 3.7 | 3.8 | ||
| 1.5 | 1.5 | Yellow cards (avg) | Y C | 1.5 | 1.4 | ||
| 1 | 0 | Red cards | R C | 2 | 3 | ||
| 13 | 14.2 | Shots (avg) | S ( | 9.2 | 9.8 | ||
| 4.1 | 4.5 | Shots on Target (avg) | S O | 3.9 | 4.4 | ||
| 36% | 36% | Goal Efficiency | G E | 40% | 43% | ||
| 8.7 | 7.7 | Shots against (avg) | S A | 8.6 | 8 | ||
| 2.3 | 1.7 | Shots on Target against (avg) | S O | 3.9 | 3.2 | ||
| Total | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||||
| # | Team | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | P |
| 1 | Leyton Orient | 19 | 14 | 3 | 2 | 30 | 12 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 4 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 16 | 8 | 18 | 45 |
| 2 | Stevenage | 19 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 26 | 16 | 9 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 5 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 40 |
| 3 | Northampton Town | 19 | 11 | 5 | 3 | 34 | 20 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 16 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 18 | 10 | 14 | 38 |
| 4 | Barrow | 19 | 11 | 1 | 7 | 27 | 19 | 10 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 18 | 8 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 11 | 8 | 34 |
| 5 | Bradford City | 19 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 26 | 17 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 14 | 8 | 9 | 33 |
| 6 | Carlisle United | 19 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 30 | 20 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 13 | 8 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 17 | 12 | 10 | 32 |
| 7 | Swindon Town | 19 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 24 | 19 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 8 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 11 | 11 | 5 | 31 |
| 8 | Mansfield Town | 19 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 27 | 26 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 15 | 13 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 12 | 13 | 1 | 30 |
| 9 | Salford City | 19 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 20 | 18 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 28 |
| 10 | Doncaster Rovers | 19 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 23 | 25 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 15 | -2 | 28 |
| 11 | Walsall | 19 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 23 | 17 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 17 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 6 | 27 |
| 12 | Tranmere Rovers | 19 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 19 | 16 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 26 |
| 13 | AFC Wimbledon | 19 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 24 | 24 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 14 | 0 | 26 |
| 14 | Stockport County | 19 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 24 | 22 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 13 | 10 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 11 | 12 | 2 | 25 |
| 15 | Crewe Alexandra | 18 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 17 | 20 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 12 | 8 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 12 | -3 | 25 |
| 16 | Grimsby Town | 18 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 20 | 18 | 9 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 8 | 2 | 24 |
| 17 | Sutton United | 19 | 6 | 4 | 9 | 17 | 25 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 15 | -8 | 22 |
| 18 | Newport County | 19 | 5 | 4 | 10 | 18 | 22 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 13 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 9 | -4 | 19 |
| 19 | Crawley Town | 18 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 20 | 30 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 17 | -10 | 17 |
| 20 | Harrogate Town | 19 | 4 | 4 | 11 | 20 | 29 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 13 | 14 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 15 | -9 | 16 |
| 21 | Rochdale | 19 | 4 | 3 | 12 | 13 | 25 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 11 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 14 | -12 | 15 |
| 22 | Colchester United | 19 | 3 | 5 | 11 | 17 | 26 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 15 | -9 | 14 |
| 23 | Gillingham | 18 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 21 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 13 | -15 | 13 |
| 24 | Hartlepool United | 19 | 2 | 6 | 11 | 16 | 34 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 11 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 9 | 23 | -18 | 12 |
| Total | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||||
| # | Team | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | P |
| 1 | Arsenal U21 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 24 | 12 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 6 | 12 | 23 |
| 2 | Liverpool U21 | 11 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 22 | 12 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 10 | 22 |
| 3 | Manchester City U21 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 29 | 18 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 10 | 11 | 21 |
| 4 | Chelsea U21 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 29 | 20 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 16 | 10 | 9 | 20 |
| 5 | Crystal Palace U21 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 26 | 17 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 7 | 9 | 20 |
| 6 | Fulham U21 | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 25 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 15 | 8 | 14 | 19 |
| 7 | Everton U21 | 11 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 21 | 18 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 11 | 3 | 19 |
| 8 | Brighton U21 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 23 | 18 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 11 | 5 | 16 |
| 9 | Wolves U21 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 18 | 26 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 12 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 14 | -8 | 14 |
| 10 | Blackburn Rovers U21 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 16 | 25 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 15 | -9 | 10 |
| 11 | Manchester United U21 | 12 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 21 | 36 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 19 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 17 | -15 | 10 |
| 12 | Leicester U21 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 14 | 25 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 17 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 8 | -11 | 9 |
| 13 | West Ham United U21 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 15 | 27 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 11 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 16 | -12 | 8 |
| 14 | Tottenham U21 | 13 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 27 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 17 | -18 | 6 |
