Carabao Cup draw LIVE: Manchester United and Newcastle discover semi-final opponents
Which teams have reached the League Cup semi-final stage?
The Carabao Cup enters the semi-final stage following tonight’s last two quarter-finals that saw Nottingham Forest beat Wolves on penalties and Southampton stunning Manchester City. Forest and Saints join Newcastle and Manchester United in the last four as the league cup reaches the business end of the competition.
There will be a new winner of the trophy this season after Liverpool were knocked out by Manchester City in the fourth round abefore City’s exit that means they won’t add to their record of winning the Carabao Cup in four of the previous five seasons.
On Tuesday night Newcastle swept Leicester aside as Manchester United beat Charlton to reach the semi-finals with the draw for those two matches coming up at the conclusion of tonight’s matches. The draw will be broadcast on Sky Sports with the semi-final first legs scheduled in for the week commencing 23rd January.
Follow the Carabao Cup semi-final draw below:
Southampton vs Man City team changes
Nathan Jones makes five changes to the Southampton team that defeated Crystal Palace 2-1 in the FA Cup last time out. Kyle Walker-Peters and Moussa Djenepo return to the back line with Ibrahima Diallo, Romeo Lavia and Sekou Mara adding firepower through midfield and up top.
Pep Guardiola keeps a similar team to the one that battered Chelsea 4-0 in the FA Cup. Joao Cancelo comes in to replace Manuel Akanji with Bernardo Silva and Rodri dropping out of midfield in favour of Ilkay Gundogan and Kalvin Phillips.
Up top Jack Grealish replaces Riyad Mahrez.
Southampton line-up
Southampton XI: Bazunu, Djenepo, Lyanco, Caleta-Car, Salisu, Walker-Peters, Diallo, Lavia, Ward-Prowse, Mara, A. Armstrong
Man City line-up
Man City XI: Ortega, Cancelo, Walker, Laporte, Gomez, Phillips, Gundogan, Foden, Palmer, Alvarez, Grealish
Who will reach the semi-finals?
Newcastle and Manchester United are both already through to the next round of the Carabao Cup and they’ll be joined by the last two semi-finalists tonight.
Nottingham Forest are taking on Wolves in the earlier kick off at 7.45pm before Southampton vs Man City kicks off at 8pm. The team news from the Etihad Stadium will be out imminently.
Manchester City’s route to the quarter-final
Manchester City entered the Carabao Cup at the third round stage and were drawn against Chelsea. Riyad Mahrez and Julian Alvarez both scored to send Pep Guardiola’s men through with an easy 2-0 win.
They next drew Liverpool and played the Reds in the first game back following the World Cup break. City took the lead twice but Liverpool responded both times.
Nathan Ake the popped up in the 58th minute send City 3-2 ahead and the Premier League champions closed out the game to eliminate the current Carabao Cup holders.
Southampton’s route to the quarter-final
Southampton have faced three League One opponents on their route to the quarter-final, claiming victory over Cambridge United and Sheffield Wednesday in the second and third rounds respectively. Che Adams bagged a brace in the fourth round of the competition was enough to overcome Lincoln City, despite the Premier League side falling behind after just two minutes at St Mary’s.
Can Nathan Jones’ men go one further and reach the semi-finals?
Manchester United edge past Charlton and into Carabao Cup semi-finals
The greatest compliment to Charlton Athletic may have come on the hour. Manchester United were leading the League One side, but by a solitary goal and Charlton were impudent enough to show plenty of resistance. And so Erik ten Hag made a triple substitution.
On came Marcus Rashford, Christian Eriksen and Casemiro and the Englishman duly scored a double, the second from the Brazilian’s pass, to take his tally to seven goals in six games. Ten Hag’s deluxe deputies duly helped United reach a third Carabao Cup semi-final in four seasons, and perhaps a third meeting with Manchester City at that stage in the same time. Yet while United posted an eighth successive win, it felt too close for comfort until Rashford’s late intervention. Harry Maguire and Tyrell Malacia were booked for fouls as Charlton sought an equaliser. Instead, Rashford took United a step nearer a first trophy since 2017.
Charlton, with a side comprised largely of free transfers, loans and youth-team graduates, can reflect that they were beaten by a brace from perhaps the most in-form player in the country and one from an £85 million buy. If Antony is a one-trick pony, at least it is quite a trick. Charlton can console themselves with the thought that Arsenal and City let in goals with certain similarities to the Brazilian; it sometimes seems that he has trademarked the trick of cutting inside and shooting from 20 yards. If Premier League defenders have started to become more aware of it, Corey Blackett-Taylor, formerly of Tranmere, made the mistake of standing off Antony and affording him room to shoot. He duly found the top corner for his second goal in as many games.
Manchester United edge past Charlton and into Carabao Cup semi-finals
Manchester United 3-0 Charlton: Marcus Rashford’s late goals were required as the League One side pushed for an unlikely draw
Newcastle storm into Carabao Cup semi-finals with dominant win over Leicester
Six years ago Leicester City were Premier League champions contemplating a Champions League knockout tie with Sevilla, while Newcastle had just lost to Championship rivals Blackburn. The two clubs’ switch in status was laid bare here in another brilliant display by Eddie Howe’s side, whose dominance could best be measured not by their two-goal win but by the sheer quantity and quality of chances spurned.
For much of the game Newcastle scooped up fistfuls of xG, then proceeded to scatter them anywhere but the back of the net. Bruno Guimaraes and Sean Longstaff conspired to miss the best of the bunch but Callum Wilson, Miguel Almiron and Joelinton were also left scratching their heads at various moments in the first hour, wondering if this would be one of those nights when the net never bulged; the threat of an instant penalty shootout with no extra time loomed in the background with the score goalless.
But then Dan Burn transformed into prime David Ginola to break Leicester’s resistance, Joelinton added another on the counter, and Newcastle’s place in the last four was secure. They have reached the League Cup final only once in their history, losing to Manchester City in 1976, and the same opponents may well need to be dislodged either in the semi-finals or final if they are to finally win it in 2023. But this is slowly but surely developing into a Newcastle side like no other, and they will fear no one, not even the Premier League champions. Indeed on this evidence, who would relish two legs against Newcastle right now?
Newcastle storm into Carabao Cup semi-finals with dominant win over Leicester
Newcastle United 2-0 Leicester City: Goals by Dan Burn and Joelinton converted the hosts’ superiority into a deserved victory at St James’ Park
Kalvin Phillips ‘ready’ for first Man City start in Carabao Cup quarter-final
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has declared Kalvin Phillips “ready” ahead of the England midfielder potentially making his first start for the club on Wednesday.
After joining from Leeds last summer, Phillips, who underwent shoulder surgery in September, only made four substitute appearances for City prior to the World Cup.
Following the tournament in Qatar, the 27-year-old was then described by Guardiola as having returned overweight and not in condition to do training sessions or play.
He has subsequently come off the bench twice against Chelsea as City beat them 1-0 away in the Premier League last Thursday and then 4-0 at home in the FA Cup on Sunday.
Kalvin Phillips ‘ready’ for first Man City start in Carabao Cup quarter-final
The England midfielder made only four substitute appearances for City before the World Cup
Man City hoping to win Carabao Cup again
Manchester City are aiming to win the League Cup for the sixth time in eight seasons and the fifth time under Pep Guardiola.
The City boss has won the League Cup four times, making him the joint record holder alongside Brian Clough, Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho.
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