Arsenal vs Liverpool LIVE: Carabao Cup semi-final result, final score and reaction from fixture tonight
Follow the latest updates from the second leg as the Gunners and Reds fight it out to face Chelsea at Wembley
A match that finally took place, but there was no actual contest. Arsenal, it could be argued, still didn’t really play.
Liverpool reached a fifth cup final of Jurgen Klopp’s time, and the first in this competition in six years, by comfortably beating Mikel Arteta’s side 2-0 in the League Cup semi-final second leg. This one wasn’t about false positives but false advertising. It just wasn’t the game that was billed, and certainly didn’t live up the enjoyable chaos that the competition’s semi-finals often offer.
Arteta’s side clearly have so much promise but also some way to go, as they lost another big game. Liverpool, and especially Diogo Jota, were just too good for them. There was almost an inevitability about that given all the ructions of the last week and how the north London derby was postponed. Arsenal could point to a stretched squad and how Thomas Partey came on just hours after arriving back from the African Cup of Nations, only to be sent off in the aimless final minutes.
That ended up being indicative in another way, as it summed up how Arsenal were always stretching to try and bridge the gap to Liverpool, but Klopp’s side were too good.
A side without Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane just showed Arsenal how it’s done, giving a semi-final occasionally clouded by an acrimonious atmosphere a muted finish.
Perhaps the only question from the entire game was whether Jota intended the finish that effectively settled the contest, or mishit it. It is someway irrelevant to the game, given the end result was a goal either way, but it was a rare moment when Aaron Ramsdale looked culpable. Follow all the latest reaction after Arsenal vs Liverpool below:
Arsenal 0 - 1 Liverpool
57 mins: Tomiyasu loses the ball to Curtis Jones who gives it quickly to Jota. Tomiyasu tries to make up for his mistake but ends up fouling the Liverpool forward and picks up a yellow card. Robertson’s free kick into the penalty area can’t find a target and Arsenal clear the danger.
Arsenal 0 - 1 Liverpool
54 mins: Ramsdale boots a long ball over the back of the Liverpool defence and sends Martinelli chasing it into the box. Kelleher comes out and catches the bouncing ball but Martinelli cynically runs into the goalkeeper and fouls him.
Arsenal’s frustrations keep growing. Liverpool are cotrolling the game.
Arsenal 0 - 1 Liverpool
51 mins: Chance! Liverpool should be two up! Diogo Jota takes the ball down the left wing and draws Ben White out of position. He knocks the ball past the defender and sprints after it into the box. Kaide Gordon drifts into space in the middle and waits for Jota’s cutback. When it comes he hits a first time shot but fires it straight over the goal!
Arsenal 0 - 1 Liverpool
48 mins: Saka hasn’t been able to get the better of Robertson so far but he manages to lay the ball off to Odegaard and sneak in behind. Odegaard tries to lift the ball over the left-back and give it back to Saka but Kelleher is off his line quickly and claims the ball.
Chance! It’s another quick start to the half for Arsenal. Lokonga chips a pass over the top and Lacazette brings it down in the box. He leans back on a shot and punts it just over the crossbar!
Second half: Arsenal 0 - 1 Liverpool
Kick off: Jurgen Klopps brings Ibrahima Konate on in place of Joel Matip to create a bit more stability at the back for Liverpool. Arsenal get the match restarted with a pass back to Aaron Ramsdale. He sends it over to the right wing but Liverpool come away with the ball despite Bukayo Saka’s attempt to win it in the air.
Arsenal 0 - 1 Liverpool
Ominous signs forArsenal. Liverpool are unbeaten in their last 39 away games across all competitions when leading at half time (36 wins, three draws) with their last such defeat coming away to Roma in the Champions League in May 2018.
Arsenal 0 - 1 Liverpool
Diogo Jota has scored four goals in his last four games against Arsenal across all competitions, with three of those coming in his two appearances at the Emirates as a Liverpool player.
Arsenal 0 - 1 Liverpool
Diogo Jota gives Liverpool the lead against Arsenal at the Emirates. It was a brilliant team goal from Liverpool and fortunate finish from Jota.
Half-time: Arsenal 0 - 1 Liverpool
45+1 mins: There was just one minute of added time to play with the action taking place in midfield. Jota wins another free kick for Liverpool and Robertson’s cross is knocked down to Fabinho. He shoots from range but his shot is blocked in the middle of the box.
Arsenal started the better team but Liverpool take the advantage into the break.
Arsenal 0 - 1 Liverpool
42 mins: Mikel Arteta looks quite pensive on the sidelines. As half-time creeps closer he’ll be thinking of ways to get his team back into this game.
The first yellow card of the game comes out for Alexandre Lacazette who hits Curtis Jones with a heavy tackle. A sign of frustration from the striker perhaps.
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