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 vs Liverpool
Liverpool have reached more League Cup finals (12) than any other team but have lost the second leg of each of their las three semi-finals in the competition.
On top of that the Gunners have never lost a home League Cup game to Liverpool. They’ve won three and drawn three. Advantage Arsenal?
Arsenal vs Liverpool: Pre-match thoughts from Mikel Arteta
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says that his team need to play at their highest level if they want to beat a team as good as Liverpool and that the fans will have big part to play in giving the team a boost when they need it. Here are Arteta’s pre-match thoughts:
Arsenal vs Liverpool
The last six League Cup meetings between Arsenal and Liverpool, going back to 1996, have produced 28 goals. But, the last two ties have both finished goalless.
Arsenal vs Liverpool: Kelleher on reaching the final
Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher spoke about the first leg and how this game will be different as well as what it would mean to him to reach and play in the Carabao Cup final. He said:
I think it’ll be a completely different game. For maybe, I think, 70 minutes they were down to 10 men so I think this game will be completely different. It will be both of us really going for the win and not one team sitting back. So it’ll be much more of an open game and an attacking one, I think.
“It would be a great honour to be able to represent Liverpool in a cup final. We’re one game away - I think we’re going to give everything we have and hopefully it’s good enough. If we can get to Wembley then it’s going to be a great occasion for the whole club.”
FA investigates Arsenal yellow card after allegations of suspicious betting patterns
The Football Association is probing a yellow card shown to an Arsenal player during a Premier League match this season following allegations of suspicious betting patterns.
It has been reported that bookmakers raised concerns with the FA after an unusual amount of money was placed on a Gunners player being cautioned during a game.
FA investigates Arsenal yellow card after allegations of suspicious betting patterns
Arsenal have declined to comment on the matter
Arsenal vs Liverpool: Is a penalty shootout likely?
The last two clashes between Liverpool and Arsenal in this competition have been decided by a penalty shootout and there was nothing to separate the team in the first leg.
Liverpool have been involved in 13 League Cup penalty shootouts, winning nine, as well as 17 out of 24 in all competitions.
Arsenal vs Liverpool
Both managers have named strong line-ups. Arsenal are pretty much at full strength which shows the desire Mikel Arteta has to reach the final.
Liverpool have a few of their key players missing which provides Kaide Gordon a chance to impress in a big game but they’re full of experience with Jordan Henderson and Fabinho in midfield and Virgil van Dijk organising the back line.
Arsenal vs Liverpool: Team changes
Mikel Arteta makes three changes to the Arsenal team that last lined up against Liverpool in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final. Takehiro Tomiyasu comes in to replace Cedric Soares, Emile Smith Rowe returns to the team adn Martin Odegaard takes his place in midfield.
Jurgen Klopp makes two changes to the Liverpool starting XI that faced Brentford at the weekend.After sitting out the first leg to give Alisson Becker some gametime, Caoimhin Kelleher is back in goal and Kaide Gordon comes in for the injured Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Arsenal vs Liverpool: Line-ups
Arsenal XI: Ramsdale, Tomiyasu, White, Gabriel, Tierney, Lokonga, Odegaard, Saka, Smith Rowe, Martinelli, Lacazette
Liverpool XI: Kelleher, Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson, Fabinho, Henderson, Jones, Gordon, Firmino, Jota
Arsenal vs Liverpool: Pepijn Lijnders on Arsenal
Liverpool’s assistant manager Pepijn Lijnders took the press conference for tonight’s match and spoke about Arsenal under Mikel Arteta. He said:
First of all, Arsenal always had really good players but, for me, they have a really good team at this moment. I think credit to Mikel [Arteta], they matured.
“You see many games where the team with 10 men plays better than the 11 – not play better but they give just this extra step, they give this extra [bit] more because they know they have one player less. What happens many times with the 11 players is that they do one thing less because they know they have one player more. That’s exactly what happened.
“Anyway, what I like about the Arsenal game is that we wanted to surprise them with our intensity and that’s what we did until [Granit] Xhaka went off.
“I really think that in football the only advantage exists if you go to the last minute of the game, to be honest. Before that, it’s quite even. I think Mikel did an unbelievable job. The team is a proper team. They were struggling as well with injuries and, how you said, COVID cases and they had to change as well in the last minute, but if you can play with 10 men like that then you have a mature and good team.”
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