Carabao Cup
Keeper Kepa keeps Chelsea out of Carabao Cup 
Thomas Tuchel made one mistake. He brought on Chelsea’s specialist penalty goalkeeper.
Not only did Kepa Arrizabalaga not save one of Liverpool’s 11 efforts from the spot – the entire team put one past him – he then sent his own spot-kick, the 22nd of the match, into orbit halfway up the Liverpool end.
And so Jurgen Klopp and his players landed the first domestic trophy of the season, after vone of the finest goalless draws it is possible to have witnessed, which Chelsea shaded on good scoring chances, but could not finish.
Mason Mount missed two sitters, Christian Pulisic one and there were four goals disallowed – three for Chelsea, one for Liverpool. Left to their own devices the players then found the net 21 times before Arrizabalaga – who had been introduced with a minute of extra-time remaining, as Chelsea’s expert in the field – skied his effort to gift the spoils to Liverpool.
Tuchel had made the same move in the UEFA Super Cup final at the start of the season, with different results. The irony is that, until his late removal, Edouard Mendy, Chelsea’s first-choice goalkeeper, had been the best player on the field.
As for Arrizabalaga, it was here at Wembley where he had previously blotted his Chelsea career, refusing to be substituted in this match, when appearing to be injured. And it could well be his final act in a Chelsea shirt, with a move likely in the summer. Signed for a world record fee, it is no way to end his career in London.
Might Chelsea have taken the lead in extra time? It certainly looked so. Lukaku broke away, checked inside, then shot low past Kelleher.
Once the ball was in the next, the flag went up for offside. But was it? Replays seemed to suggest not. Yet referee Stuart Attwell got a signal to say the gods of VAR were satisfied.
The problem with this technology is that, increasingly, it seems to mean whatever the powers want it to mean. Havertz also scored in the second period of injury time, but that was offside in the way we would all define it.
The deadlock remained unbroken at the end of the second-half, too, but the spectacle remained undimmed. High tempo, high action, and chances at either end, Mount spurned another wonderful opportunity for Chelsea. Pulisic put him through and Liverpool’s back line was static, caught out, leaving him with only Kelleher to beat.
He slipped the ball past him only to see it hit the post. On the touchline, Tuchel fell to his knees and beat the ground in despair.
Then it was Liverpool’s turn. Another kicking error by Mendy saw the ball come back, Mane to Salah who was suddenly speeding towards goal.
He went for a delicate chip and somehow Silva sped past two team-mates to clear off the line. Where he derives the energy at his age, who knows?
Finally, a goal. In the 67th minute, Alexander-Arnold delivered a free-kick that was met by Mane at the far post.
He headed the ball down, it bounced up and Joel Matip got in front of Silva to head into an empty net. And then, as is the modern way, we waited. Something had turned up in forensics.
A push? An offside? Both? Stuart Attwell was summoned to the sidelines and, on review the signal beloved of killjoys everywhere. Van Dijk was just offside and while he hadn’t touched the ball had impeded his man, meaning Mane could make his run unchecked. No goal.
Chelsea also had one disallowed for offside but that required less explanation. Timo Werner. Nuff said.
Still there were chances at each end. Luis Diaz went through one on one and Mendy saved at his feet.
Then, a goalmouth scramble and as second double save, first from Diaz, then Robertson. Finally, in the fifth minute of injury time, Alonso got off a cross and Romelu Lukaku – on as a 73rd minute sub – almost scored with a deft flick, kept out by Kelleher’s legs.
If there was a tiny recess in Thomas Tuchel’s mind that was still deliberating his decision to prefer Edouard Mendy to Kepa Arrizabalaga it probably cleared on 30 minutes, when his first choice performed one of the saves of the season.
Naby Keita shot from a good 25 yards out and Mendy parried – that was a decent stop. Yet as the ball rebounded out, Sadio Mane came onto it first and tried to finish at the second attempt from close range. Somehow Mendy diverted it over the bar – and that was a quite brilliant save.
Jurgen Klopp kept faith with the goalkeeper that had got him here, Caolmhin Kelleher, with Alisson on the bench.
Yet Mendy’s instant elevation when Chelsea reached the Club World Cup final – he came directly from competing in the Africa Cup of Nations – suggests Tuchel is neither sentimental or indulgent of feelings.
Ethan Chidiebere Nwaneri, Nigerian parentage, scored a brace for Arsenal in their Carabao Cup third round 5-1 defeat of Bolton Wanderers at the Emirate Stadium on Wednesday.
Those were the first goals of the 17-year old for the club.
He made his English Premier League debut against Brentford in September 2022, becoming the youngest ever Arsenal player, and the youngest player to appear in the top flight of English football aged just 15.
In Tuesday’s League Cup match, Declan Rice opened scoring for Arsenal with a goal from 18 yards out in the 16th minute before Nwaneri made his presence felt in the 37th, latching onto a cross from Sterling to finish into an empty net from close range.
Nwaneri netted his second of the night soon after the break when West Ham were caught trying to play out from the back and Rice found the teenager who finished from just inside the penalty area.
Sterling, on loan from Chelsea, and Havertz put the game out of reach with goals in the 64th and 77th minutes.
Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo scored two goals apiece as holders Liverpool thrashed West Ham United 5-1 at Anfield on Wednesday to cruise into the fourth round of the League Cup in another solid performance from Arne Slot’s side.
Mohamed Salah was also on target for Liverpool who fell behind and endured some nervy moments before pulling away for a comfortable victory.
“I do feel like in most parts of the game we had control,” Slot said. “We had a large part of ball possession, particularly in the first half.”
Arsenal crushed third-tier Bolton Wanderers 5-1 in the evening’s other League Cup tie.
West Ham — who were reduced to 10 men when Edson Alvarez was shown a second yellow card in the 76th minute — opened the scoring at Anfield when Wataru Endo’s attempt to clear a corner ricocheted off Jarell Quansah and past keeper Caoimhin Kelleher for an own goal.
The Hammers’ celebrations were short-lived as Jota equalised four minutes later, leaping to head home Federico Chiesa’s acrobatic volley.
Jota netted his second in the 49th minute when Curtis Jones slotted a reverse pass to the Portuguese player who scored into the bottom corner.
“It’s important when you’re down to get that (equaliser) as quick as possible and to score at Anfield, it’s always special so happy to help the team,” Jota told Sky Sports.
Talisman Salah made it 3-1 in the 74th when he knocked in the rebound off Alexis Mac Allister’s shot, and then Alvarez was sent off two minutes later following a late challenge.
Gakpo added to Liverpool’s lead with goals in the 90th and 93rd minutes, his first a fantastic strike from 17 yards out after a one-two with Darwin Nunez.
“The last 20 minutes we didn’t manage well,” said West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui. “The players made a big effort. I’m sorry for our fans.”
The Reds captured a record 10th League Cup title last season, manager Juergen Klopp’s final trophy with the team before he stepped down at the end of the campaign.
New manager Slot has barely missed a beat. The Reds sit a point behind Manchester City in second in the Premier League after five games. They also opened their Champions League campaign with a victory over AC Milan last week.
“We have just one defeat,” Jota said. “We are still progressing, still developing our ideas — but only by winning games you become better so we are happy.
“It’s hard but we want to win again obviously, we are the reigning champions.”
Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho and Christian Eriksen all scored twice as the Old Trafford side roared into the last 16 of the League Cup with a 7-0 rout of third-tier Barnsley on Tuesday.
United were joined in the fourth round by fellow Premier League sides Brentford, who beat third-tier Leyton Orient 3-1, and Crystal Palace after they edged Queen’s Park Rangers 2-1.
Top flight Fulham were knocked out in extraordinary fashion by second-tier Preston North End after the match ended 1-1 — the home side prevailing 16-15 in a 34-penalty shootout, the longest-ever in the competition.
United manager Erik Ten Hag has endured a rocky time since taking over in 2022 but enjoyed the biggest win of his reign.
England forward Rashford ended a six-month goal drought at the weekend when he scored against Southampton in the Premier League and needed only 16 minutes to strike against Barnsley.
His silky finish high into the net paved the way for United to demolish Barnsley who were no match for Ten Hag’s side.
Antony added the second from the penalty spot in the 35th minute and Garnacho poked home United’s third in first-half stoppage time to put the hosts in complete control.
Garnacho side-footed his second from Rashford’s pass just after the restart and returned the compliment as Rashford made it 5-0. Eriksen scored his first United goal for more than a year in the 81st minute, slotting in Bruno Fernandes’s cross.
Eriksen then fired in from the edge of the area to complete United’s biggest-ever League Cup win and their biggest margin of victory since Ten Hag took charge in 2022.
United’s previous biggest wins under the Dutchman were 4-1 defeats of Real Betis and Chelsea.
“Football is football. Sometimes you have ups and sometimes downs, but we have to use these games to get momentum and consistency,” Rashford said.
Ten Hag added: “I thought the first goal from Marcus was really good, but so were the rest. We played with a lot of speed and were ruthless in front of goal. The key was the right attitude and to be 100% concentrated.”
BASEMENT BATTLE
The Premier League’s bottom two clubs met at Goodison Park and there was more woe for Everton as they bowed out on penalties to Southampton after a 1-1 draw.
Abdoulaye Doucoure put Everton ahead but Southampton levelled through Taylor Harwood-Bellis and the visitors won 6-5 in the shootout. Eleven penalties hit the net before Ashley Young saw his effort saved by Alex McCarthy.
Brentford were given an early scare when Brandon Cooper put Orient in front but Fabio Carvalho equalised in acrobatic fashion. Mikel Damsgaard headed Brentford in front and Christian Norgaard ensured progress for Thomas Frank’s team.
Eddie Nketiah scored his first goal for Crystal Palace since moving from Arsenal and Eberechi Eze struck the winner against his old club Queen’s Park Rangers to send the visitors through.
Sheffield Wednesday won 1-0 at Blackpool, while Championship (second-tier) side Stoke City needed penalties to get past fourth-tier Fleetwood Town 2-1 after being held to a 1-1 draw.
The remaining third round ties will be played on Wednesday and next week, concluding with holders Liverpool at home fellow Premier League side West Ham United on Sept. 25.
-Reuters
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