Carabao Cup
JURGEN KLOPP THREATENS TO PULL LIVERPOOL OUT OF LEAGUE CUP
Jurgen Klopp has warned Liverpool could pull out of the League Cup if the English Football League do not help with their hectic fixture schedule.
Klopp’s side moved into the quarter-finals after an incredible 5-5 draw against Arsenal and 5-4 penalty shoot-out victory at Anfield on Wednesday.
Liverpool trailed 3-1, 4-2 and then 5-4 in the final seconds before Divock Origi’s equaliser forced a shoot-out that was won by locally born teenager Curtis Jones.
It was a superb advert for the tournament, but Liverpool might not be appearing in the League Cup again this season unless Klopp’s fears over a fixture pile-up are soothed.
Match dates for the quarter-finals are scheduled for the week commencing December 16, when Liverpool will be in Qatar at the Fifa Club World Cup.
And Reds boss Klopp said if a suitable alternative, the most likely being the week commencing January 6, the scheduled date for the first leg of the semi-final, is not found then they would refuse to play.
“FIFA told us the Club World Cup will be there (Qatar) and we have to come there and we will do,” Klopp told reporters.
“The Premier League tells us we have to play in the Premier League, which we do obviously.
“The Carabao (League) Cup, if they don’t find an appropriate place for us – not 3am on Christmas Day – then we don’t play it.
“If you have a fixture list where one team cannot be part of all the games, then you have to think about the fixture list.
“Hopefully it starts now. I really think that’s fair, and this problem is obvious now.
“We will not be the victim of this problem. We play tonight, we wanted to win it, we did that, and if they don’t find a proper date for us, then we cannot play the next round and whoever is our opponent will go through – or Arsenal play them.”
It seems highly unlikely the EFL would run the risk of allowing Klopp to carry out his threat, considering the commercial and television appeal the record eight-time winners of the competition carry.
But Klopp has put the ball firmly in the organisation’s court and given then plenty of warning of the potential consequences.
Ironically, Liverpool feared they might be kicked out of the competition after fielding an ineligible player in the previous round against Milton Keynes Dons.
But instead the Champions League holders were fined for playing Spanish midfielder Pedro Chirivella, who didn’t have international clearance.
Meanwhile, under-fire Arsenal boss Unai Emery defended his decision to take off Mesut Ozil in the second half.
Ozil, making only his third appearance of the season, had a hand in three of Arsenal’s goals, but Emery still took off the German midfielder.
The move came days after Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka swore at fans when he was booed following his substitution against Crystal Palace.
“We had decided beforehand (to take off Ozil). He worked well in 65 minutes. We are going to play on Saturday and in my mind there’s the possibility to use him again,” Emery said.
“Ozil played very well. He played a very good match.”
-AFP
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola wants defender Marc Guehi to be allowed to play in their League Cup final against Arsenal, saying the club will ask organisers to reconsider eligibility rules.
City booked their place at Wembley with a 3-1 home win over Newcastle United in Wednesday’s semi-final second leg, completing a 5-1 aggregate victory.
Competition rules make Guehi ineligible for the final because he featured earlier in the tournament for Crystal Palace, and joined City after the first leg of the semi-final.
“Why should he (Guehi) not play? Why not? We pay his salary, he is our player,” Guardiola told reporters.
“You buy a player for a lot of money and he is not able to play, for a rule I don’t understand. Hopefully they can change it.
“I told the club we must ask – hopefully we can convince the Carabao Cup that Marc can play the final.”
The League Cup final between City and Arsenal is scheduled for March 22.
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta said reaching Wembley for the first time since 2020 – thanks to a 4-2 aggregate League Cup semi-final win over Chelsea – would give his players a boost for a hectic season run-in.
“It’s the best vitamins we can put in our bodies because we are playing every three days,” Arteta told reporters after Arsenal beat their London rivals 1-0 on Tuesday to seal their place in the final of England’s second domestic cup competition.
The Spaniard said the prospect of a return to Wembley for the first time since he guided his team to victory in the FA Cup final – also against Chelsea – six years ago was magical, before adding: “Now we are going to have to go and win it.”
Arsenal had failed to make it through their previous four major cup semi-finals – two in the League Cup and another two in Europe – before overcoming Chelsea on Tuesday.
With the visitors desperately seeking the goal they needed to level the tie on aggregate, former Chelsea attacker Kai Havertz ran clear to score in the final moments of the semi-final second leg
The German has missed much of this season through injury and Arteta hailed his return to form.
“Today was a special moment for him and I hope that he fully enjoys it,” he said.
The Premier League leaders – who are also competing in the FA Cup and the Champions League – will face either Manchester City or Newcastle United who play their semi-final second leg on Wednesday with City 2-0 ahead from the first leg.
Chelsea coach Liam Rosenior said his players’ disciplined performance showed how much the team had developed since the chaotic 3-2 home loss to Arsenal in last month’s first leg, which was only his second match in charge after replacing Enzo Maresca.
“Ultimately their goal comes when we’re throwing the kitchen sink at the game. That’s going to happen,” Rosenior said. “We can’t let this setback affect our future. There were aspects of our game that I am very happy with.”
He said winger Pedro Neto and club captain Reece James had not made the squad on Tuesday after picking up “small knocks” and he praised 18-year-old Brazil winger Estevao who made a 48-hour round trip to Brazil for compassionate reasons but was back in London to come off the bench for Chelsea in the second half.
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Omar Marmoush scored twice as Manchester City set up a League Cup final date with Arsenal after a comprehensive 3-1 second-leg victory over visiting Newcastle United secured a 5-1 aggregate win in their semi-final on Wednesday.
The home side were ruthless in the first half as Tijjani Reijnders also got on the scoresheet and now face Arsenal at Wembley on March 22 in a battle between City manager Pep Guardiola and his protege Mikel Arteta.
“We showed a very good mentality,” Marmoush told Sky Sports. “We were together as a team, from the first minute, we were very focused on the job. We showed our mentality and passion, and are very happy to reach the final.
“We are here to win trophies. We give our best every day to reach these finals and win silverware. Hopefully, we can do it for all the new players and also the players that were here.”
Trailing 2-0 from the first leg, the last thing Newcastle needed was to concede early at the Etihad Stadium, but Marmoush’s shot deflected off defender Dan Burn and into the net inside six minutes.
The Egypt international added a second on the night with a close-range header from Antoine Semenyo’s cross. Marmoush has now scored 12 goals for City and five have come against Newcastle at the Etihad Stadium.
A rampant City scored a third before halftime and Semenyo was involved again as he created the chance for Reijnders to finish.
Newcastle pulled a goal back just past the hour mark when substitute Anthony Elanga showed quick feet to work a shooting chance and curled his effort past James Trafford in the home goal.
Elanga missed two superb chances to reduce the deficit further, one scarcely believable from right in front of the goal, while Erling Haaland brushed the post at the other end.
City won four League Cup titles in a row between 2018 and 2021 and have eight in all; only Liverpool (10) have won it more.
Arsenal have not lifted the trophy in 33 years and have two previous wins.
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
NFF Slaps N1m Fine on Clubs that Fail to Honour Federation Cup Matches
Heineken Brings “Fans Have More Friends” Campaign to Nigeria for Champions League Round of 16
Iraq coach calls for delay to World Cup playoff amid travel shutdown
- WAFCON4 days ago
BREAKING: CAF Postpones WAFCON 2026
- World Cup9 hours ago
Iraq coach calls for delay to World Cup playoff amid travel shutdown
- OBITUARY5 days ago
Nigerian Sports Journalism Mourns Oyeniyi Oyeleke and Tonex Chukwu
- MLS1 week ago
Trump to Host Lionel Messi and Inter Miami at the White House
- World Cup6 days ago
‘I really don’t care’ if Iran plays in World Cup, Trump tells Politico
- DIPLOMACY10 hours ago
Morocco Backs Gulf Security, Condemns Iranian Attacks Against Brotherly Arab States
- World Cup4 days ago
Iraq’s World Cup Playoff in Doubt as War Disrupts Travel and Visa Processing
- FA Cup2 days ago
Eze thunderbolt guides Arsenal past Mansfield into FA Cup quarter-finals