TheNewsGuru

Tag: carabao cup

  • Kepa misses penalty as Liverpool defeat Chelsea to win Carabao Cup

    Kepa misses penalty as Liverpool defeat Chelsea to win Carabao Cup

    Liverpool won a dramatic penalty shoot-out to secure the first domestic trophy of the season after a classic Carabao Cup final against Chelsea at Wembley.

    Kepa Arrizabalaga, brought on in the closing moments of extra time as a penalty specialist, missed the decisive spot-kick after a magnificent game came down to a shoot-out between Chelsea’s keeper and his Liverpool counterpart Caoimhin Kelleher.

    Kelleher made it 11 penalties from 11 for Liverpool but Kepa blazed wildly over the top as a high-class showpiece was decided by the finest of margins after 21 successful attempts.

    Chelsea, who had three goals disallowed for offside, were left to rue two big misses by Mason Mount but they were also grateful for a magnificent display from keeper Edouard Mendy, who produced a string of outstanding saves.

    Liverpool created a host of chances and had a Joel Matip goal ruled out for a foul and offside in an incident-packed game that went right down to the wire before Jurgen Klopp’s side prevailed.

  • Why I won’t wear suit for Carabao Cup final – Klopp

    Why I won’t wear suit for Carabao Cup final – Klopp

    Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp knows he’ll look rough at Wembley on Sunday – but will again refuse to wear a suit for the Carabao Cup final.

    The Reds meet Chelsea tomorrow.

    “I am not overly superstitious,” says the Reds boss. “I will not wear a suit but not because I am superstitious.

    “I am pretty sure that someone told me before the League Cup final that I needed to wear a suit.

    “With the Champions League in 2013, honestly, it is really silly but someone told me that it was expected to wear a suit on the touchline and then when I saw the first coach next to me without a suit I thought ‘are you kidding me?!!!’. That was the moment I stopped it.

    “No, I will not wear a suit for a football game unless it is a rule. It is not a problem. I don’t go as a tramp to a wedding or whatever. There are things you have to wear, but if I have a free choice (I won’t).”

    Klopp adds: “If I look back on the pictures after the Champions League final (in 2019) and how I look and the pictures after we became champions and how I look there, I couldn’t care less.

    “So I look completely outraged, hat there, cap over there, bad shave, that is really not cool to be honest. It is not that I want to look like that, but it just happened.

    “I cannot think around the game about how I look. I can’t. I tried really hard and I never feel comfortable.

    “For me, somebody has to put the things by my place in the dressing room and I just go in and from there we go. I could stand there in swim shorts as long as we win people will be happy.

    “If we don’t win, it will be a big story. If we win it no-one will talk about it. I will not wear swim shorts, though! That will not happen.”

  • Liverpool book Carabao Cup final with Chelsea

    Liverpool book Carabao Cup final with Chelsea

    Liverpool reached their first Wembley final for six years as a double from Diogo Jota set up a Wembley date with Chelsea in the Carabao Cup.

    Jota brilliantly filled the gaps left by Mo Salah and Sadio Mane – away at the Africa Cup Of Nations – as his lethal finishing wrecked Arsenal’s trophy hopes for this season after a goalless semi-final first leg at Anfield.

    Arsenal started impressively, Alexandre Lacazette hitting the woodwork from a free-kick, but Liverpool struck after 19 minutes when Jota’s scuffed shot after a fine run beat scrambling Arsenal keeper Aaron Ramsdale.

    Lacazette missed Arsenal’s best chance after the break, shooting over when clean through, but Liverpool had chances of their own and sealed their first final in this competition since the 2016 loss to Manchester City when Jota ran onto Trent Alexander-Arnold’s pass and lofted a precise finish over Ramsdale with 13 minutes left, the goal given by VAR after initially being disallowed for offside.

    Arsenal’s misery was complete when Thomas Partey, on as a substitute after returning from Afcon at midday, received a second yellow card for a senseless late challenge on Fabinho.

  • Carabao Cup: We must give everything to beat Chelsea – Conte

    Carabao Cup: We must give everything to beat Chelsea – Conte

    Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte says his team must give everything to defeat Chelsea on Wednesday.

    Spurs must overturn a 2-0 deficit to reach the Carabao Cup final.

    On Tottenham’s chances of progressing to the final, Conte told reporters: “It’s hard, we know we’re facing a really top team that last season won the Champions League and in the summer they invested much money to improve the squad.

    “At this moment we’re playing the best in Europe and when you play against this type of team it’s hard.

    “Despite our problems with injuries, we need to try to give everything and show great desire to fight and a great personality.

    “We have to show that compared to the first game we can improve and try to fight in the best way.”

  • West Ham knock Man City out of Carabao Cup

    West Ham knock Man City out of Carabao Cup

    Holders Manchester City were knocked out of the Carabao Cup after West Ham United won 5-3 on penalties in front of an ecstatic London Stadium.

    Pep Guardiola has made the competition his own by claiming the past four Carabao Cups.

    But City will not be the winners since 2016 thanks to West Ham’s penalty heroics.

    Phil Foden fired wide to give the Hammers the advantage in the shootout.

    Said Benrahma then stepped up to score the decisive penalty.

    Despite peppering West Ham’s goal with 25 shots, Guardiola’s side are now out of the Carabao Cup.

  • Chelsea, Arsenal cruise to Carabao Cup quarter-finals

    Chelsea, Arsenal cruise to Carabao Cup quarter-finals

    Chelsea progressed to the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup as they beat Premier League rivals Southampton on penalties after a 1-1 draw.

    Reece James scored the decisive spot-kick for the Premier League leaders after Theo Walcott and Will Smallbone failed to hit the target with their efforts for the Saints.

    Both sides rung the changes for the tie, with Chelsea bringing in six different players from the 7-0 Premier League win against Norwich at the weekend while nine players came in for the visitors.

    The hosts settled better into their rhythm and took the lead a minute before half time when Kai Havertz headed home his third goal of the season from a corner.

    However, Southampton responded two minutes after the restart when Che Adams stabbed in from close range after Kepa spilled Kyle Walker-Peters’ shot.

    While Substitute Calum Chambers scored within seconds of coming off the bench to help Arsenal see off Leeds United and reach the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.

    Chambers’ header crept over the line for the opener 10 minutes after the break, before former Leeds loanee Eddie Nketiah pounced to wrap up the tie.

    The forward cleverly flicked the ball over a stranded Illan Meslier and just did enough to nudge it over the line before the visiting keeper could recover.

    Leeds had looked the more threatening side until the first goal in an open and entertaining game against a much-changed Arsenal side at Emirates Stadium.

    But Mikel Arteta’s outfit were comfortable after establishing their lead as the visitors became stretched looking for a way back into the game.

    Arsenal, hoping to win the competition for first time since 1993, will find out their last-eight opponents in Saturday’s draw.

  • Aubameyang scores hat-trick to save Arteta’s job at Arsenal

    Aubameyang scores hat-trick to save Arteta’s job at Arsenal

    Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s hat-trick helped Arsenal to a welcome first win of the season as they beat a young West Bromwich Albion side to reach the Carabao Cup third round.

    Aubameyang marked his first start of the season with two first-half tap-ins and a curling finish after the break.

    He also acrobatically set up Nicolas Pepe for the third, with Bukayo Saka slotting in the Gunners’ fourth.

    Alexandre Lacazette came off the bench to fire in his side’s sixth.

    The win could have been even bigger too, with Martin Odegaard hitting the outside of the post from a tight angle and Pepe striking the bar with a chip.

    With the Gabon striker among the goals, Pepe and Saka opening their own accounts for the season and Lacazette adding to the competition up front, Gunners boss Mikel Arteta can be more optimistic about facing Manchester City in the Premier League this coming weekend.

  • Man City clinch fourth consecutive Carabao Cup title

    Man City clinch fourth consecutive Carabao Cup title

    Manchester City won the League Cup for a record fourth time in succession with a deserved victory over a disappointing Tottenham Hotspur side at Wembley.

    City defender Aymeric Laporte, arguably fortunate to be on the pitch after escaping a yellow card in the first half before being cautioned after the break, rose above Spurs substitute Moussa Sissoko to head home Kevin de Bruyne’s free-kick eight minutes from time.

    It was reward for City creating a host of chances and dominating Spurs, who did not benefit from any sort of positive reaction after sacking manager Jose Mourinho on Monday and replacing him with caretaker Ryan Mason.

    The final was played in front of 8,000 supporters, including 2,000 from each club – and it was a delight to hear noise inside Wembley’s vast arena once more.

  • Carabao Cup: Man City outclass Man Utd to reach final

    Carabao Cup: Man City outclass Man Utd to reach final

    Manchester City reached their fourth straight League Cup final after a 2-0 win over Manchester United in Wednesday’s semi-final at Old Trafford.

    Two second half goals from John Stones and Fernandinho gave Pep Guardiola’s side victory in the match.

    Manchester City will now meet Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley in the April 25 final as they seek their fourth League Cup triumph in a row.

    In a frantic opening to the game, both teams had efforts ruled out for offside.

    Stones turned the ball into his own net but he was saved by the flag.

    Also, Ilkay Gundogan converted a low ball in from Phil Foden but, again, the attempt was rightly ruled out.

    Kevin De Bruyne struck the post with a thundering drive from outside the penalty box.

    Later on, Foden also put the ball in the net for Manchester City but the visitors were foiled by offside once again.

    It was an open and entertaining game, with Manchester City looking sharper.

    But Manchester United were competitive as they sought revenge for last year’s defeat by their neighbours at the same stage of the competition.

    Manchester City then went ahead five minutes after the break when Foden whipped in a free-kick from the left through a crowded box.

    Defender Stones bundled a cross home at the back post, the ball going in off his thigh.

    Manchester United goalkeeper Dean Henderson produced a brilliant save to tip over a strike from Riyad Mahrez, after the Algerian had burst forward from the halfway line.

    Fernandinho made sure of the win seven minutes from time with a stunning volley as he pounced on a headed clearance from Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

    Manchester United have now lost at the semi-final stage in their last four Cup campaigns, leaving manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer still searching for his first final since taking over at the club.

    “We’re getting closer. This is a much better version of Manchester United than a year ago in those semis,” said the Norwegian.

    “It’s not psychological, sometimes you meet good teams in the semis. Manchester City are probably the best team in England at the moment,” he added.

    Manchester City entered the field in number eight shirts in tribute to former player Colin Bell who died on Tuesday and Guardiola said they had honoured his memory.

    “It’s for Colin Bell and his family. He helped to build something special for this club. It’s an incredible victory for us to beat Manchester United away and it was for him absolutely,” he said.

    “The team is ready and it was an outstanding performance. We dipped a little bit in the second half, we were tired… But when the team has this mentality they can do something incredible. It’s not the Champions League but four times in a row to reach the final —– I’m so impressed,” he said.

  • Winning Carabao Cup won’t be enough – Arteta

    Winning Carabao Cup won’t be enough – Arteta

    Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says winning the Carabao Cup this season won’t be enough to say it’s been a good campaign.

    After defeat to Everton, the Gunners meet Manchester City in the Carabao Cup tomorrow night.

    “It’s not enough, isolating just one competition. We have to play every competition to try to win it,” said Arteta.

    “Last season, we managed to win two of those and we have a really nice opportunity because we’ve done really well in the competition this year and tomorrow’s game is another step forward to be closer to winning another trophy and this is what we are going to try to do.

    “But this doesn’t mean that it’s going to reflect on the rest or it’s going to look better because at the moment – whatever happens in any other competition – in the Premier League we’re nowhere near where we should be.”