Eddie Nketiah enjoys night to remember after edging Arsenal past visitors Norwich in the League Cup

Arsenal 2 Norwich 1 (AET): It took two goals from the 18-year-old to see Arsene Wenger's men past the plucky Championship side

Eddie Nketiah struck twice on his home debut (Getty)

Arsene Wenger needed rookie striker Eddie Nketiah to spare Arsenal's blushes and keep alive his chances of finally winning the League Cup.

Wenger has never lifted the trophy in over 20 years in English football, finishing as runners-up in 2007 and 2011.

It looked like Arsenal were set for another year of disappointment in this competition before Nketiah, 18, marked a dream home debut to send Arsenal in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.

Wenger threw on Nketiah, who had made a brief substitute appearance against Bate Borisov last month, in a desperate bid to save his side's skin. Barely ten seconds later he had scored and just six minutes into extra-time he rose to head home Elneny's corner.

Championship side Norwich, who led for long after Josh Murphy's first-half opener, will still be wondering how it is Arsenal and not them who take their place in the last-eight of a competition after the most dramatic of interventions.

Arsenal, just like Norwich, had played on Sunday and with little over 48 hours of preparation it came as no surprise to see both sets of managers make wholesale changes from their respective away wins.

For Arsenal, it was another chance for the likes of Olivier Giroud, Jack Wilshere and Theo Walcott, who have largely been restricted to starting spots in the Europa League, to stake their claim.

The youngster celebrates his second for Arsenal (Getty)

However, they would have to get the better of a Norwich side that has noticeably been improving with every game under German manager Daniel Farke.

As such, it was the visitors who took a surprise lead with Josh Murphy latching onto a superb through-ball from Sunday's East Anglian derby match-winner James Maddison before finishing past debutant Matt Macey with a cute dink.

Macey did well to prevent Norwich doubling their lead before the break, pushing away a curling Nelson Oliveira shot after Murphy had wriggled free on the edge of the box.

Arsenal started the second half by committing plenty of men forward and were almost caught out by a simple through ball which set Oliveira away.

The Portugal international raced towards goal only to be halted by a Mohamed Elneny foul which could easily have seen the Arsenal man dismissed, with referee Andy Madley lenient in his issuing of a yellow card.


 Jack Wilshere failed to make much of an impact 
 (Getty)

The hosts toiled in their search for an equalising goal but it was Norwich who passed up a fine opportunity as Oliveira blazed over after being found by Ivo Pinto inside the Arsenal box.

Murphy then wasted a half-chance before Mario Vrancic should have sealed Norwich's spot in the last eight, only to shoot wide after working space in front of goal.

Wenger threw on Chuba Akpom and Nketiah as his side chanced the game and it was the latter who was on hand to level just seconds after his introduction, turning in a corner from close-range.

Gunn saved superbly from Jack Wilshere in the last minute before Akpom should have won it for Arsenal deep into added time.

A defensive mix-up allowed Theo Walcott a great sight of goal early in extra-time but Gunn again provided the heroics, only for Nketiah to continue his dream home debut by heading home Elneny's resulting corner.

Josh Murphy celebrates scoring for Norwich (Getty)

Another smart save from Gunn prevented Nketiah completing his hat-trick as he broke free of an exhausted Norwich defence.

The Norwich players surrounded referee Madley after he turned own their penalty claims as James Husband and Mathieu Debuchy came together in the box.

The visitors were all-but out on their feet and could not find an equaliser as Arsenal saw the game out to progress to the quarter-finals of this competition.