Arsenal clinched their place in the quarterfinal of the Carabao Cup by securing a narrow win over Liverpool via penalty shootout. The initial game ended scoreless, leading to a shootout, where Harry Wilson’s missed spot-kick proved to be costly for the Reds, who were dominating the game throughout the evening.
Arsenal Players Rated In Win Over Liverpool
Bernd Leno 10/10
Bernd Leno was by far the best player in this fixture, making at least four world-class saves to deny Liverpool from breaking the deadlock. Two of his saves came from Diogo Jota’s shots and all of them were extraordinary.
The German made two saves in the penalty shootout as well, denying both Divock Origi and Harry Wilson. His saves were a key factor in Arsenal’s triumph in this game. Man of the match.
Cedric Soares 6/10
Cedric Soares had a disappointing game, for the most part, failing to provide anything on the right flank. He wasn’t able to move the ball forward as efficiently as Hector Bellerin, though the Portuguese did put in a couple of excellent balls into the box during the final phase of the game.
Rob Holding 6.5/10
Rob Holding should have done much better in terms of his defending in the first-half, especially with his clearances. However, the Englishman improved in the second half.
Gabriel Magalhaes 7/10
Gabriel Magalhaes looked calm and composed throughout the course of the game. His reliable presence was crucial as Arsenal somehow managed to prevent Liverpool from finding the back of the net.
Sead Kolasinac 6.5/10
Sead Kolasinac surprisingly had a decent game, keeping Mohamed Salah quiet. But, the Bosnian was completely beaten by Jota in one moment, leading to an excellent opportunity. Failed to end the game on a positive note, in what could be his last game for Arsenal.
Dani Ceballos 7/10
Dani Ceballos was the main passing outlet for Arsenal in midfield. The Spaniard was tidy with his forward passes and tried to orchestrate the game with his work-rate, movement and energy.
Granit Xhaka 6.5/10
Granit Xhaka had a mixed evening in midfield. The Swiss international captained the side, showing his leadership, aggression and some persistent fouling. May have done a little better job in providing defensive coverage for the backline.
Bukayo Saka 6/10
Bukayo Saka had to do some defensive work in an otherwise quiet evening for the Englishman. He did show glimpses of his talents during the final phase of the game, before making way for Ainsley Maitland-Niles.
Joe Willock 6/10
Joe Willock had a promising start to the game as he linked up well with his teammates. However, his influence faded as time progressed, with a delightful through ball in the second half being the only highlight from his performance. Deserves praise for converting a decisive spot-kick under genuine pressure.
Eddie Nketiah 6/10
Eddie Nketiah was sharp to pounce on the defender’s mistakes as always. However, he was seemingly anonymous as the game progressed while also failing to take one glorious scoring opportunity in the first half.
Nicolas Pepe 6/10
Nicolas Pepe had to bizarrely start on the left flank, where he provided very little on the table. The Ivorian’s silky feet failed to cause menace for the Liverpool backline.
SUBSTITUTES
Mohamed Elneny 6/10
Came on for Ceballos during the final phase of the game, providing some energy and balance in central midfield. Missed the only penalty for Arsenal in the shootout, though.
Alexandre Lacazette N/A
Failed to impact the game after replacing Nketiah in the final ten minutes or so.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles N/A
A late replacement for Saka.
