Carabao Cup
Awoniyi’s Forest beat Wolves in shootout to reach League Cup semis
Nottingham Forest beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 4-3 on penalties in their League Cup last-eight game on Wednesday to reach a cup semi-final for the first time in over two decades.
Forest keeper Dean Henderson made the decisive save from Joe Hodge’s spot kick in the shootout, after the game had finished 1-1 after 90 minutes, to send his side through to their first semi since they reached the League Cup final in 1992.
Willy Boly struck after 18 minutes against his former club to give Forest the lead, converting from close range after an initial Serge Aurier effort hit the woodwork and Wolves failed to clear.
Henderson was regularly called into action to keep his side’s lead intact and made an impressive string of close-range saves to deny Raul Jimenez and Hwang Hee-chan before the break as Wolves piled pressure on the hosts
They got their reward in the second half as Jimenez easily tapped home at the back post after substitute Matheus Cunha played a well-timed ball across the face of goal towards the Mexican.
Tempers frayed as the game neared the end of normal time, as Wolves had a penalty claim waved away after Matheus Nunes appeared to be tripped in the box, with Aurier, Daniel Podence, Nunes and Wolves manager Julen Lopetegui all booked for their reactions.
Despite their dominance with 66% of the possession, Lopetegui’s men failed to find a way to win the game in the 90 minutes and penalty misses from Neves and Hodge in the shootout condemned them to defeat.
While the result provided a moment of jubilation for Forest’s fans and players, their manager Steve Cooper felt his side should have performed better across the 90 minutes.
“(I am) chuffed for the supporters and players,” Cooper told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“The objective of the tie was to get through. I can’t say I loved our performance, I shouldn’t be too negative and won’t be.
“But we have to play a lot better than we did over large spells of the game. The game was there for us to take advantage of Wolves.”
Forest were beaten 4-1 by Championship side Blackpool in the FA Cup on Saturday and, despite the nature of the performance against Wolves, Cooper was happy to see his side respond well.
“I think Wolves were good on the night and you have to respect that,” he said. “I felt on Saturday we fell short and got knocked out so it was important not to go out of two cup competitions in a few days.”
-Reuters
Carabao Cup – Quarter Final – Nottingham Forest v Wolverhampton Wanderers – The City Ground, Nottingham, Britain – January 11, 2023 Nottingham Forest’s Dean Henderson, Ryan Yates, Brennan Johnson and Morgan Gibbs-White celebrate after winning the penalty shootout Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff
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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