Liverpool reach the Carabao Cup final as they march past Arsenal at the Emirates.
Liverpool defeated Arsenal 2-0 in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final tie on Thursday. The Reds bounced back from their underwhelming draw in the first leg as they secured a spot in the final.
Jota steals the show!
Arsenal started off as the better side, but it was Liverpool who managed to get the opener in the 19th minute. Following an inch-perfect assist from Trent Alexander-Arnold, Diogo Jota dribbled past Takehiro Tomiyasu with a neat turn. He then hit a strike past Aaron Ramsdale, who seemed to be unsighted by his defenders.
Arsenal pushed to get the equalizer but struggled to create serious chances. They came the closest when Albert Sambi Lokonga sent Alexander Lacazzete past Liverpool’s backline with an excellent pass in the 50th minute. However, Lacazzete’s shot went over the bar amid pressure from Virgil van Dijk.
Liverpool gradually regained possession after the hour-mark. After a few half-chances, Jota completed his brace after receiving another assist from Alexander-Arnold in the 77th minute. The referee initially called it offside but allowed the goal to stand after reviewing by VAR.
The goal was enough to end Arsenal’s hopes of mounting a late comeback. The frustrated hosts went down a man in the 90th minute when the referee sent Thomas Partey off after a careless challenge on Fabinho. Mikel Arteta’s side eventually settled for a 2-0 home defeat as Liverpool reached the EFL Cup final for the first time since 2016.
Both sides will return to Premier League action on Sunday. Liverpool will host Crystal Palace while Arsenal meet Burnley.
Player Ratings
Arsenal: Ramsdale (6); Tomiyasu (5), White (6), Magalhaes (6), Tierney (6); Sambi Lokonga (7); Saka (6), Smith Rowe (6), Odegaard (7), Martinelli (5); Lacazette (6).
Bench: Partey (4), Nketiah (6).
Liverpool: Kelleher (7); Alexander-Arnold (9), Matip (7), Van Dijk (7), Robertson (8); Henderson (7), Fabinho (7), Jones (6); Gordon (5), Firmino (7), Jota (9).
Bench: Konate (7), Williams (6), Milner (6), Minamino (7).
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