Arsenal welcomed Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium earlier tonight as they hoped to pick up a win in front of their home fans after managing to earn a 0-0 draw in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final clash. The Gunners made a bright start to the game but conceded the opener against the run of play as Diogo Jota found the back of the net with a good run and finish. The North London outfit failed to regain their early momentum and went into the half-time interval 1-0 down on the scoreline.
Mikel Arteta’s men produced a flat display in the second 45 minutes and saw their hopes of reaching the final get crushed in the 77th minute when Jota scored again for Liverpool with a cheeky finish. The match ended with the Gunners suffering a 2-0 defeat which knocked them out of the Carabao Cup.
Let’s take a look at how each Arsenal player fared during the contest against the Reds.
GK: Aaron Ramsdale – 6/10
He made one save in the game but was a bit untidy with his ball distribution. However, Ramsdale won’t be happy after conceding a goal in each half.
RB: Takehiro Tomiyasu – 6.5/10
Tomiyasu won a lot of aerial duels and did his fair share of defending. He even made two good runs going forward.
CB: Ben White – 6/10
White was defensively solid for most of the first half. However, he looked a bit tired in the final quarter of the game.
CB: Gabriel – 6/10
He cleared his lines when needed but was unable to stop Jota from scoring two goals tonight.
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LB: Kieran Tierney – 6.5/10
The Scottish talent produced a battling display down the left flank but lacked quality in the final third.
CDM: Albert Sambi Lokonga – 6.5/10
He set up Arsenal’s best chance of the game but was often overrun by the Liverpool midfielders.
CM: Martin Odegaard – 6.5/10
Odegaard set up a couple of decent chances for his teammates but never got a sniff at goal.
CM: Emile Smith Rowe – 6/10
He struggled to get a foothold in the game and got replaced in the 73rd minute.
RW: Bukayo Saka – 5.5/10
Saka failed to influence the game the way he would have liked and put in a lackluster display in the final third.
LW: Gabriel Martinelli – 7/10
The Brazilian speedster was Arsenal’s biggest threat going forward. However, he couldn’t take any of his chances.
ST: Alexandre Lacazette – 6/10
The French striker wasted a great chance to score but worked hard off the ball.
Substitutes:
CM: Thomas Partey – 4/10
He got booked twice and let his teammates down by getting sent off in the 90th minute.
ST: Eddie Nketiah – 6/10
Nketiah never got a sniff a goal.
