The quarter-finals of the EFL Cup provided fans with thrilling action, with Gabriel Jesus leading Arsenal to victory. Liverpool defeated Southampton with a gritty performance, and Newcastle’s commanding display secured them a semi-final berth. Here is a round-up of Wednesday’s matches.
Southampton 1-2 Liverpool
Liverpool advanced to the Carabao Cup semi-finals for the third time in four seasons with a 2-1 win against Southampton at St. Mary’s Stadium. First-half strikes from Darwin Núñez and Harvey Elliott secured the victory, despite a brilliant solo goal from Cameron Archer giving the Saints a glimmer of hope.
Southampton, led by interim boss Simon Rusk after Russell Martin’s sacking following a heavy 5-0 defeat to Tottenham, started brightly but saw their early momentum dissipate in the 25th minute when Darwin Núñez pounced on Alex McCarthy’s error to open the scoring. Trent Alexander-Arnold was instrumental in the goal, evading pressure and threading a deflected through ball to the Uruguayan striker.
Liverpool extended their advantage eight minutes later as Harvey Elliott, making his first start of the season, slotted a deflected low shot into the bottom corner after being set up by Cody Gakpo. Southampton managed to pull one back but the Reds held on to clinch their spot in the last 4.
Arsenal 3-2 Crystal Palace
The Gunners endured a shaky start, with Jakub Kiwior’s error gifting Jean-Philippe Mateta an early goal for the visitors. After a lackluster first half, Arsenal came alive in the second, with Jesus rediscovering his scoring form to net three crucial goals. Former Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah added late drama with a superb header, but the hosts held their ground to advance to the final four.
Newcastle United 3-1 Brentford
Newcastle United edged closer to ending their 70-year trophy drought with a commanding 3-1 win at St. James’ Park. Sandro Tonali set the tone with a thunderous strike from the edge of the area. The Italian midfielder doubled his tally with a sublime side-footed volley from Lewis Hall’s pinpoint cross, showcasing his exceptional technical ability.
Fabian Schar added a third to solidify Newcastle’s dominance before Yoane Wissa pulled one back for Brentford, though the night undoubtedly belonged to Tonali.
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Mohd Faisal Hakak is a sports author from Kashmir. He likes to keep tabs on the sporting world with a keen interest in football, motorsports, NBA, and other marquee sports. He is a science graduate from Islamia College Srinagar.
