Arsenal vs. Liverpool result: Jota double sends Reds to Wembley for Carabao Cup final

Kyle Bonn

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Arsenal vs. Liverpool result: Jota double sends Reds to Wembley for Carabao Cup final image

Arsenal was heroic in the first leg, and started brightly in the second leg, back to a full-strength 11 men and back at home.

Slowly it fell apart, as Liverpool’s tactical prowess and superior skill wrestled back the ascendency, and a brace from Arsenal thorn Diogo Jota sent the Reds to a 2-0 victory and booked a date with Chelsea at Wembley in the EFL Cup final.

The Gunners were bright early on and could have scored the opener as Alexandre Lacazette clanged the crossbar with a free-kick, but Liverpool got the opener out of nothing, and the game began to slip from Mikel Arteta’s hands.

MORE: Premier League standings & table races

Liverpool mucked up the game and eventually built into the better side, and Jota bagged his second in the 77th minute to put the game well and truly out of reach. It fully fell apart for Arsenal as the game dragged on, as substitute Thomas Partey – who departed Cameroon just hours earlier – was sent off for two yellows in a span of three minutes, giving Arteta another needless selection headaches.

Sporting News will be following the match live and providing score updates, commentary and highlights as they happen.

Arsenal vs. Liverpool live score

  1H 2H Final Agg.
Arsenal 0 0 0 0
Liverpool 1 1 2 2

Goals:
19th min – LIV – Diogo Jota
77th min – LIV – Diogo Jota

(All times Eastern)

FULL-TIME: Arsenal 0-2 Liverpool

In the end, a comprehensive performance by Liverpool after Arsenal started brightly. It's a disappointing finish for Mikel Arteta, who oversaw a promising first 20 minutes before it slowly, painfully fell apart. For Jurgen Klopp, another tactical masterclass from the German to deal with the early struggles, replace Matip, get TAA going, and see the game out.

90th minute:  A miserable tackle by Partey gets him a second yellow card, lunging into Williams' ankle with his studs up, and the Ghanan caps off a brutal week with an early shower. He got his first just minutes earlier. Maybe he should have stayed in Cameroon for an extra day of rest rather than rushing back. More selection difficulties for Arsenal who lose another midfielder.

85th minute:  There's a drunken idiot on the field, who gets a resounding boo from the Emirates crowd. Liverpool brings on Neco Williams for Roberto Firmino as Klopp shuffles the deck.

81st minute: Chance, Arsenal!  The Gunners are desperate, and Martinelli – who has been Arsenal's best player on the day – nearly produced a spectacular effort. A half-volley scissor from the top of the 18-yard box is sent just blazing over the bar. That was very close to a glittering goal.

Jones booked for a foul on Partey.

77th minute:  GOAL! Liverpool! Diogo Jota has the ball in the back of the net, having flicked the ball over Ramsdale with a deft chip, but it's pulled back for the offside flag. BUT WAIT! VAR has it as onside, and the goal stands! Liverpool are all but in to the EFL Cup final!

The finish was stellar, chesting down an ABSURD  long-ball from that man again, Alexander-Arnold, and lifting the ball over Ramsdale who came charging out.

76th minute:  Liverpool goes close again, as Robertson sends a cross/shot through the six-yard box and just wide past the far post, forcing Kelleher to dive.

73rd minute:  Better from Arsenal as they earn a corner, but they can't work a shot from it.

Thomas Partey, stunningly, is going to come on for the final 15 minutes. He's only just landed back in London 8 hours ago after returning from the Africa Cup of Nations, where he played a full 90 minutes just 48 hours ago. Eddie Nketiah comes on too, with Alexandre Lacazette and Emile Smith Rowe done for the day.

Liverpool swaps Henderson for Milner, as the captain's armband changes hands.

69th minute:  Arsenal playing with fire yet again, as Liverpool sees a double chance go begging. TAA with another spectacular cross, this time for Jota who is put off by a defender, and Minamino's follow-up is well blocked by Martinelli who stopped that from finding the inside of the far post. Liverpool definitely feels the side more likely to score next.

63rd minute:  Liverpool has been the better team over the past stretch, and it builds into another chance. Another glittering, curling cross at full speed by Alexander-Arnold – a calling card of his – is just inches too far for the streaking Gordon.

Konate is then booked for pulling back Lacazette as Arsenal looks to counter. Klopp dips into the substitutes and sends Takumi Minamino on for Gordon. When will Arteta go to the bench for a late push?

59th minute: Chance, Liverpool! Off a corner, a  THUMPING  header from the Liverpool substitute Konate comes crashing back off the post! He rose high like a salmon over the back of an Arsenal defender, towering to the ball, but just couldn't get it on target. Ramsdale did very well to save an immediate follow-up by TAA, but it wouldn't have counted due to the offside flag. Another letoff for Arsenal, who is still in this match having weathered a few recent storms.

58th minute:  Odd passage of play as a ball into the Arsenal box sees Ramsdale absolutely flatten his teammate Tierney, which leaves the Scotsman in a heap. He gets up no worse for wear, but that was a weird one. Arsenal fighting history now...

56th minute:  Tomiyasu booked after his pocket was picked by Curtis Jones, who's had an excellent match. Dangerous free-kick...Robertson's delivery sent back from whence it came.

51st minute:  Chance, Liverpool!  WOW! Now Liverpool sees a brilliant chance sent to the moon! Jota will fabulous movement down the left, and his cutback picks out 17-year-old Gordon all alone on the penalty spot, but the youngster blasts it into the stratosphere. Down one end a grizzled veteran produces a glaring miss, and then a young teenager does the same moments later. Happens to the best of us.

Moral of the story: this game is still wide, wide open.

49th minute: Chance, Arsenal!  Oh, how has Lacazette not hit the target??? A brilliant ball from Lokonga picks out the streaking Frenchman alone in front of net, only challenged by Robertson on his back, but he skies it miles over the bar. There would have been a claim for offside had he found the back of the net, but either way that's a terribly poor finish. Lacazette should do far better there.

46th minute:  Back for the second half. No changes for Arsenal, while Liverpool boss Klopp brings Joel Matip off for Ibrahim Konate. Matip made a number of mistakes in the first half.

HALF-TIME: Arsenal 0-1 Liverpool

What a weird first half. Arsenal completely dominated the opening stage, with a 20-minute stage of dominance to start the match. The Gunners got nothing to show for it, instead helpless to watch as the only real chance in front of net for Liverpool resulted in a goal. Diogo Jota's mis-hit opener is a microcosm of this match, and since, Liverpool has CONCACAF'd its way to a halftime lead.

Gunners can be proud of the performance, but it won't do them any favors on the scoresheet. Arteta charged with finding a way through the Liverpool mess. It's still very much up in the air.

45th minute:  The frustration is making its way to the pitch. Arsenal forward Alexandre Lacazette gets booked for trodding on Curtis Jones' foot with studs up. Martin Atkinson to the book for the first time.

43rd minute:  There's been a significant lack of entertainment now over the past 15 minutes, and the crowd is getting restless. Liverpool, now with the lead, has choked the life out of the match to much success. The Reds have shockingly held 63% possession, which would feel a poor reflection of the match had it not been for the last stretch where the Reds appear to be playing keep away.

34th minute:  The game has devolved somewhat since the goal, with both teams locked in a tight midfield battle. The attacking flow has been sucked from the game.

28th minute:  SPECTACULAR challenge by Fabinho, dispossessing Martinelli who was through on goal in the Liverpool penalty area. Stuck his foot right through and poked the ball free. That's one for the highlight reel. Arsenal continues to be the better side on the whole. Reds continue to stay on high alert despite the lead.

19th minute: GOAL! Liverpool!  Completely against the run of play, a mishit effort by Diogo Jota ends up as a slow-roller past Aaron Ramsdale, and Liverpool leads. Jota did brilliantly in the build-up, cutting in from the left across the top of the box. His shot was completely scuffed, and it looked like Ramsdale had his true intentions read well, meaning the slow-roller left him completely off-balance. Alexander-Arnold and Roberto Firmino were involved in the buildup as well.

Arsenal was in complete control, and Liverpool's first real attacking move results in a goal. Tough blow for Mikel Arteta.

The Matt Turner jokes write themselves.

12th minute:  Liverpool's first chance in the attack comes to nothing as Fabinho's pass out wide left is poor despite the Arsenal defense appearing to open up. Just not happening for the Reds at all across these two legs. Plenty of time to turn it around, which they nearly do as the Reds' first corner is in the back of the net, but Joel Matip is offside.

8th minute: Arsenal has started as the better side, and Martinelli has been the early star, giving Alexander-Arnold plenty of trouble. The Gunners with another push forward but Kelleher is fouled trying to challenge a cross. This is a worry for Liverpool. Odegaard has also started well, pushed back into a deeper role than he usually plays.

5th minute:  CHANCE, Arsenal!  Joel Matip with a bad giveaway sees Saka fouled on the edge of the area. A very dangerous free-kick for Arsenal at the top of the penalty area, and Lacazette clangs it off the crossbar! Hard to tell if Kelleher got a touch before it hit the woodwark, but either way, VERY close.

3rd minute:  Arsenal with a few half-chances to start as they earn a pair of successive corners. It comes to nothing as Kelleher ends up with the ball. Give Gabriel Martinelli credit for his bright creativity in the move.

1st minute:  Under way! Very full-strength team for Arsenal given the North London Derby was postponed just days ago. The home fans love it.

2:38 p.m.:  Liverpool out for warmups. A number of young players feature in the Reds' lineup.

2:29 p.m.:  This was a stat we shared during the first leg as well, and while it didn't have an effect on that match, we still know how much Jurgen Klopp loves to play Arsenal.

2:03 p.m.:  These two sides are looking to break a deadlock against each other in EFL Cup play.

1:53 p.m.: Lineups are in, full lineups below. Apparently, Thomas Partey DID get a cab straight to the Emirates, as the Ghana midfielder shockingly makes the bench for the match today.

17-year-old Kaide Gordon starts for Liverpool, with Curtis Jones also in midfield. It's a big chance for Liverpool youngsters.

1:36 p.m.:  Ben White, the hero of the first leg for the Gunners, adorns the matchday program at the Emirates.

1:32 p.m.: Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is back from the Africa Cup of Nations thanks to lesions on his heart stemming from a bout with COVID-19, and therefore unable to participate tonight, out indefinitely. That hasn't stopped teams from showing interest in the Gabon interenational, however. Those teams bidding will be bouyed by Aubameyang's belief that he is "totally fine."

1:28 p.m.:  The lights are on at the Emirates, which sets the stage for tonight's high-profile Cup matchup.

1:00 p.m. : In case you were wondering, Thomas Partey won't be making this game, but he is in contention for the weekend after Ghana was eliminated.

Arsenal vs. Liverpool lineups

While Arsenal has enough players available to give the match a green light, the squad news still makes for anxious reading.

Granit Xhaka is suspended for his red card in the first leg, while both Sead Kolasinac and Pablo Mari have departed the club in the past few days. Thomas Partey played 90 minutes just two days ago as Ghana was eliminated earlier than expected from the Africa Cup of Nations, but he shockingly makes the bench for the Gunners.  Mohamed Elneny  and Nicolas Pepe continue their participation in the tournament. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has returned from the AFCON competition but is out indefinitely after a COVID-19 bout left him with cardiac issues.

Then comes the lengthy list of players with unknown availability status. Bukayo Saka , one of the heroes of the first leg, took a knock towards the end of the match but returns to start. Martin Odegaard  also makes the starting lineup despite only just returning from his COVID-19 isolation.

Takehiro Tomiyasu , Cedric , Calum Chambers , and Emile Smith Rowe  all faced late fitness tests to determine how ready they are to play. Chambers and Cedric do not appear in the squad, but Tomiyasu and Smith Rowe both start in a boost to the Gunners. Goalkeeper  Bernd Leno misses out with a back injury, with Aaron Ramsdale starting and young academy product Karl Hein on the bench.

Arsenal starting lineup (3-5-2): Ramsdale (GK) — Tomiyasu, White, Gabriel, Tierney – Smith Rowe, Lokonga, Odegaard – Saka, Martinelli, Lacazette.

Arsenal subs (9):  Hein, Holding, Alebiosu, Tavares, Partey, Patino, Salah-Eddine, Nkeitah, Biereth.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has a number of questions to answer after the failure of failing to build an aggregate lead in the first leg. The midfield, without AFCON participant Naby Keita , was horrendously static, while the absence of AFCON duo Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah up front was all too plain to see.

Thiago and Nat Phillips remain sidelined for long-term injuries, and while Harvey Elliott  and Divock Origi have returned to training from their ailments, it's still too early for either to participate.

MORE: First leg as it happened – Arsenal and Liverpool play to tense draw

The biggest question for Klopp will come in midfield, with James Milner ineffective in the first leg of this matchup. He is replaced by  Curtis Jones , with  Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain  not even appearing among the substitutes after suffering an ankle injury against Brentford. Takumi Minamino gives way on the flank in favor of young Kaide Gordon , who makes his second EFL Cup start this season at just 17 years old.

Liverpool projected starting lineup (4-3-3): Kelleher (GK) — Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson — Henderson, Fabinho, Jones – Gordon, Firmino, Jota.

Liverpool subs (9):  Alisson (GK), Adrian (GK), Konate, Milner, Gomez, Minamino, Tsimikas, Williams, Morton.

How to watch Arsenal vs. Liverpool

  • Date: Thursday, Jan. 20
  • Time: 2:45 p.m. ET
  • TV Channel: — None —
  • Streaming: ESPN+  (subscription required)

The Arsenal vs. Liverpool second leg is exclusively avaliable on ESPN streaming platform ESPN+ at 2:45 p.m. ET. The winner of the match will advance to face Chelsea in the final on Feb. 27.

If the match ends in a draw after 90 minutes, extra time and, if necessary, a penalty-kick shootout will be used to determine a winner.

Arsenal-Liverpool betting lines, pick & prediction

Pick : Arsenal or Tie (Double Chance) and Under 2.5

Prediction : Arsenal 1-1 Liverpool (Liverpool through on penalties)

  • Moneyline : Arsenal +285 / Draw +275 / Liverpool -105
  • Spread : Liverpool -0.5 (-105) / Arsenal +0.5 (-105)
  • O/U 2.5 total goals : Over -125 / Under +105
  • Both teams to score : Yes -150 / No +115

Kyle Bonn

Kyle Bonn Photo

Kyle Bonn, is a Syracuse University broadcast journalism graduate with over a decade of experience covering soccer globally. Kyle specializes in soccer tactics and betting, with a degree in data analytics. Kyle also does TV broadcasts for Wake Forest soccer, and has had previous stops with NBC Soccer and IMG College. When not covering the game, he has long enjoyed loyalty to the New York Giants, Yankees, and Fulham. Kyle enjoys playing racquetball and video games when not watching or covering sports.