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
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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