If Granit Xhaka getting sent off came as no real surprise, Arsenal holding out with 10 men at Anfield certainly was a shock. Liverpool failed to take advantage of Xhaka바카라s 24th-minute red card for a chest-high lunge on Diogo Jota and was held to a 0-0 draw by Arsenal in the first leg of the League Cup 2021-22 semifinals on Thursday. (More Football News)
With star forwards Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane at the African Cup of Nations, Liverpool lacked a cutting edge up front against an already-depleted Arsenal team that lost two more players 바카라 Cedric Soares and Bukayo Saka 바카라 to injury during the game.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was looking for a reaction after a humbling loss to second-tier Nottingham Forest in the third round of the FA Cup 2021-22 on Sunday and he got it with some obdurate defending, with center backs Ben White and Gabriel particularly impressive.
바카라There is so much fight in this team,바카라 White said. "It바카라s hard enough to come here with 11 men and to get one sent off is not easy. Absolutely superb from everyone.바카라
His job was made much tougher by Xhaka, the hot-headed Switzerland midfielder who has now collected five red cards since joining Arsenal in 2016. No other Premier League player has so many in that period.
Xhaka was chasing back after Jota, who was attempting to run onto a long ball by Andrew Robertson, when he stuck out his left leg and smashed it into the chest of the Portugal international. Jota would have been through on goal and the referee went straight to his back pocket to show the red card.
It was Xhaka바카라s second red card of the season 바카라 the other was in a 5-0 loss at Manchester City in the Premier League when Arsenal바카라s defense proceeded to fold. Not this time.
Liverpool, which beat Arsenal 4-0 in the league at Anfield this season and had previously scored 43 goals in 15 games against the London club under Jurgen Klopp, barely called Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale into action until the final frantic minutes.
Takumi Minamino wasted the biggest chance for Liverpool, slicing his shot over the crossbar with the goal at his mercy in the 89th minute after Ramsdale flapped at a cross from the right. Liverpool might have had 78 per cent possession but managed only one shot on target, and that came in second-half stoppage time.
바카라I think we showed great fight, determination, attitude, brotherhood,바카라 Arteta said. "We played the game we had to play. It's not our game but we had to play it.바카라 The winner of this semifinal will meet Chelsea in the title match at Wembley Stadium next month, and the second leg is at Arsenal바카라s Emirates Stadium next week.
바카라It바카라s a two-legged game and it바카라s halftime,바카라 Klopp said. 바카라I can바카라t remember when it was 0-0 at halftime, wherever I바카라ve been, and I thought, 바카라We have no chance.' We will give it a proper go.바카라 Mane and Salah will again be missing, though Arsenal's absentee list is even longer at the moment heading into Sunday's North London derby against Tottenham in the league.
Arteta's midfield looks particularly threadbare, with Xhaka now suspended, Martin Odegaard out with COVID-19, Emile Smith Rowe injured and both Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny at the African Cup. Arteta ended up deploying Saka and Gabriel Martinelli as center midfielders for much of the game after Xhaka's sending-off.
