Carabao Cup
Klopp laments absence of VAR as Reds lose League Cup thriller at City
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has slammed the lack of the VAR (video assistant referee) technology as Manchester City beat his League Cup holders 3-2 in a cracking game on Thursday, taking the lead three times before holding on to reach the quarter-finals.
Defender Nathan Ake headed in what proved to be the winning goal in the 58th minute after Mohamed Salah had equalised one minute after Riyad Mahrez restored City’s advantage early in the second half.
Erling Haaland scored his 24th goal of the season in all competitions to put City ahead in the 10th minute at the Etihad Stadium but Liverpool responded in the 20th, when Fabio Carvalho knocked in a James Milner pass to complete a flowing move.
Klopp thought Haaland’s goal was offside and lamented the fact that VAR is not used in the League Cup until the semi-final stage.
“We have VAR, the referees are used to VAR. The technology is here, why shouldn’t we use it?” he said.
“We had VAR, and all of a sudden you tell them not today. It looked like in a couple of situations they were waiting for it, or thinking there was still VAR.
“There were a couple of offside decisions, where everyone in the stadium was convinced they were offside. We’ll never know probably because we can’t play them back.”
On the game: he added: “We worked hard, we did good stuff. It was not good enough for tonight but it’s City at their home ground, it will always be an incredibly difficult game.”
It was another fast and furious game between the two rivals who took the Premier League title race to a dramatic conclusion last season and once again it was City who finished on top.
City boss Guardiola and Klopp named strong sides in their first game back since the domestic season paused for the World Cup.
The hosts started six players who featured in Qatar, although striker Julian Alvarez was absent as he remained in Argentina celebrating his country’s triumph.
Haaland looked refreshed from his extended break due to Norway’s failure to qualify and in addition to being ruthless in front of goal he heavily contributed to his team’s build-up play, setting up a great chance for Cole Palmer but the youngster sliced his shot well wide.
He had no such problem when presented with his first clear chance, stretching out his left leg to send Kevin de Bruyne’s cross into the net.
City’s defence switched off and allowed Liverpool to pass their way around their area and equalise through Carvalho.
Guardiola’s side looked more likely to score again and did so soon after the interval, Mahrez controlling a through ball from Rodri with one foot and slamming it low into the net with the other.
As has often been the case in the recent years of the fixture, though, Liverpool came straight back and Darwin Nunez made a lung-bursting run down the left wing to latch on to a pass and sent it across for Salah to tap in.
City would not be outdone, however, and took the lead for the final time, Ake rising high to head home an inviting cross from De Bruyne.
Guardiola, who enjoyed a first win over Liverpool in six matches in all competitions, was pleased with his side’s performance.
“We cannot say it was not a good game,” he said. “It’s not easy to keep the ball against Liverpool because they have a defensive structure that is the most difficult I ever faced in my career.
“After the World Cup and a long time without playing, both teams played at an incredibly high level of intensity. Liverpool are so difficult, when they play good, they can destroy you.
“It was a good game and an entertaining game.”
City will travel to Southampton in the quarter-finals and Manchester United were handed a home tie against third-tier Charlton Athletic in the draw on Thursday.
Nottingham Forest will host Wolverhampton Wanderers and Newcastle United will entertain Leicester City.
–Reuters
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
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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
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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
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