Anfield finally saw a Liverpool side lose a match of football, although it took a 5-3 penalty shootout in Arsenal’s favour to overcome Jurgen Klopp’s mighty Reds.
Bernd Leno pulled off two saves in a penalty shootout that followed a 0-0 draw, in stark contrast to last season’s 5-5 thriller when the two sides met in the same round last year.
Leno reaffirmed his status as number 1
The game was by no means a boring draw, although it wont go down as a classic either.
Both sides created chances with the Gunners having the first real opportunity of the match.
Eddie Nketiah received the ball six yards out within the first ten minutes only for the ball to bounce off his knee, forcing the striker wide allowing Adrian in the Liverpool goal to rush out and get down to push the ball away from danger.
Liverpool went on to miss a gilt-edged opportunity, with the goal open Takumi Minamino rattled his effort against the crossbar after jumping on to a rebound from a superb Diogo Jota header.
The Japanese forward could only watch as the ball bounced down and away from the goal, only to be cleared by the on rushing Arsenal defence.
In truth Liverpool should and could of won the game, had it not been for Leno’s second-half heroics, making crucial saves from Virgil Van Dijk, Diogo Jota and a looping header from Marko Gruijc, the effort looked to have beaten Leno, but the Arsenal number 1 – who was at full stretch – beat the ball away as Gruijc’s effort drifted towards the top corner.
A late surge from the Gunners, after Liverpool had substituted Van Dijk and Mohammed Salah, meant Adrian was kept on his toes’, pulling off a few saves of his own but Arsenal had left it too long and the match ended in a deadlock – penalties would soon follow,
Mikel Arteta had set his Arsenal team up with a plan last night – stay in the game – had been his rhetoric all week, and boy did his side do just that.
Arsenal kept a clean sheet against a mix of Liverpool first teamers and under-23’s but Salah was kept fairly quiet all game and Leno’s saves helped keep Klopp’s men at bay, the first time the Reds have failed to score this season.
The Spaniard has put his faith in Leno, after the sale of Emiliano Martinez to Aston Villa and was delighted with his German shotstopper’s performance.
Speaking after the match to Sky Sports he said: “ I really believe in Bernd.
“ I know him really well, I know what people give us, we have to adapt to the circumstances we have.
“We cannot do everything we want in the market.
“ We have some players with value and at some stage we have to make decisions.
“We really liked Emi, we didn’t want him to go but it was probably the right thing for both parties to do.”
Leno himself spoke before being awarded the Man of the Match award and told SkySports:
“The club always gives me the feeling that I was number1, I am the number 1 and will be the number 1.”
The German ‘keeper certainly proved his point with a magnificent display during the 90 minutes, followed by the crucial match winning save from Harry Wilson, the Liverpool winger may well find that was his last kick for the Anfield club as rumours circulate that he will be leaving Merseyside this summer.
Gunners ready for more silverware
The look an Alexandre Lacazette’s face said it all, as Joe Willock’s penalty squirmed over the line, the Frenchman’s expression, full of a mix of pure delight and relief told a story – Arsenal want trophies and they seem to all be headed in the right direction now – together.
Arteta’s job is now to bring together all the pieces he is building at The Emirates and get his team performing and winning on a consistent basis.
His team look ready to challenge for silverware, at least in the cup competitions and his sights will be set on grabbing a third trophy in under a year by progressing all the way to the final in February.
The Spanish coach has a difficult task in the next round though, his side drew previous boss and mentor Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
When asked about his thoughts on facing his old employers he spoke of many “tough teams” left in the competition and that his side will “prepare for it”, hardly a sound bite that will go viral, but Arteta has always been keen to distance himself from his association with Guardiola and City – his focus lies with Arsenal and prefers to look forwards rather than back.
City are the current holders of the Carabao Cup, having dominated the competition for the last few years.
Raheem Sterling and Co. will no doubt cause Arsenal problems when the two sides meet in a Christmas Quarter-Final showdown.
By Andy Jones
The Rambling Ham 