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Tag: Carabao Cup

Eight Chelsea players might be out of the Carabao Cup final, compared to six Liverpool players.

Both Chelsea and Liverpool are dealing with injuries, and the Carabao Cup final at Wembley is coming up.

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s expected absence from Liverpool’s Carabao Cup final against Chelsea is a crushing blow.

During the 3-1 victory over Burnley last Saturday, the vice captain of the Reds experienced a recurrence of a knee problem. Alexander-Arnold has been returned to the treatment table after missing three games and nearly three weeks of action in January.

It is a setback for Liverpool, who will be missing their main creator when they meet Chelsea on Sunday, February 25, at Wembley. Both teams played twice at the national stadium in 2021–2022; this season, they will compete for the first trophy up for grabs.

Both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup finals ended in 0-0 draws after extra time, but Jurgen Klopp’s team prevailed on penalties.

Liverpool, who currently lead the league and are still in the FA Cup and Europa League, respectively, may win the first leg of a possible four-trophy haul. Chelsea, on the other hand, will be hoping that winning silverware can serve as the impetus for them to reclaim their place among the elite. The team has faced yet another challenging season.

As it stands, Alexander-Arnold may be missing the championship match along with six other players for Klopp’s team. Dominik Szoboszlai’s hamstring injury from last month has kept him out of action once more. Due to a tendon problem, the £60 million summer signing’s situation has become more problematic, and Klopp said he is unsure if Szboszlai will return for Wembley.

On his first outing in nine months, Thiago Alcantara sustained a muscular ailment. The midfielder was sidelined for the last five minutes of Liverpool’s 3-1 loss to Arsenal due to a hip ailment, but he is now out of commission once more.

Growing pains have plagued Stefan Bajcetic all season long. Following an impressive 2022–2023 campaign, the 19-year-old has only been able to play in two games this season. Ben Doak had a knee surgery in December, while Joel Matip is still recovering from an ACL tear.

Chelsea, on the other hand, may not have eight players available. Romeo Lavia, who chose to stay at Stamford Bridge after being courted by Liverpool during the summer transfer window, has only made one appearance for the Blues. The midfielder has already been ruled out of the championship game by head coach Mauricio Pochettino.

Captain Reece James will lose time due to hamstring surgery he had in December, and Wesley Fofana may not return to the pitch this season as he continues to heal from an ACL injury. Due to a groyne injury, Benoit Badiashile is also expected to be unavailable. Marc Cucurella, Robert Sanchez, and Lesley Ugochukwu are all not expected to play due to injuries to their groynes.

Due to a groyne issue, experienced defender Thiago Silva had to leave Chelsea’s 3-1 victory over Crystal Palace earlier this week, casting doubt on his availability.

More news…….

‘Biggest deal’ of all club stars expected for Trent Alexander-Arnold

The board views Trent Alexander-Arnold as Liverpool’s future, and they are “confident.”

Liverpool is expected to make Trent Alexander-Arnold an offer for a big, long-term contract, sources have told Football Insider.

Football Insider (10 February) reported that the Reds are “confident” they will negotiate terms and are hoping to tie Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, and Alexander-Arnold to long-term contracts.

Football Insider has learned from reliable sources that the full-back will likely receive the “longest-term” and “biggest” offer of the three superstars.

Although his contract is scheduled to end in 2025, it is thought that he is not advocating to leave his boyhood club.

The 25-year-old is seen by the Liverpool administration as the team’s future, and they are eager to have him pledge his long-term future to them.

The team is optimistic that he would agree to a new contract that will raise his rumoured £180,000 weekly wages.

Since making his professional debut in October 2016, Alexander-Arnold has been essential to the Reds’ success.

He has now made 218 appearances in all competitions, contributing 57 assists and 14 goals.

He has two goals and nine assists this season in all competitions, including a pivotal late equaliser against Man City, another championship challenger, in November.

Despite Sunday’s 3-1 loss to Arsenal, Liverpool is still atop the Premier League standings; but, if City wins their last match, they will take the top spot back.

Their next match is this Saturday afternoon (10 February) at Anfield against Burnley, who are currently in 19th place.

February 15, 2024
Preview: Fulham vs. Liverpool: lineups, team news, and prediction

In the second leg of their EFL Cup semi-final at Craven Cottage on Wednesday night, Fulham and Liverpool will battle it out for a spot at Wembley against either Chelsea or Middlesbrough.

In their first meeting at Anfield two weeks ago, the Cottagers came close to winning, but the game ended 2-1, leaving the Reds as the latest victims of a comeback.

Match Preview

Fulham didn’t need any instruction in scoring goals at Anfield if December’s seven-goal display was any indication. This is true even though Liverpool won 4-3 in the Premier League extravaganza. Willian’s goal just 19 minutes into the game stunned the Kop into silence.

The former Chelsea player took advantage of an unusual error by Virgil van Dijk, and Fulham’s strong defence held firm until Curtis Jones’s extremely fortunate deflection equaliser, which arrived just moments before Cody Gakpo completed a classic Reds comeback.

At Anfield, Fulham’s demise came with the entrance of Gakpo and chaos agent Darwin Nunez, who finished the game with two assists, yet there was no sense of gloom and

Although Fulham’s demise at Anfield was sealed with the arrivals of Gakpo and chaos agent Darwin Nunez, who finished the game with two assists, there was still hope among the away supporters because their first-ever EFL Cup semi-final match is far from over.

With Fulham hoping to become the 37th different team to play in the EFL Cup final, they will have to overcome an ugly trend that has plagued many first-leg losers prior to them: only 25% of teams that were defeated in the first semi-final encounter managed to win the game in the second meeting.

Three days later, Fulham lost a West London derby against Chelsea due to Cole Palmer’s penalty kick, which deflated the Cottagers. Nevertheless, Silva’s team now hosts their Merseyside rivals at a venue where they have won five of their last six games across all competitions.

Although Fulham hasn’t lost an EFL Cup home match when playing in the top division since September 2007, the Reds have advanced to the final eight times in the nine prior seasons when Liverpool has won the first leg of an EFL Cup semi-final.

In such circumstances, only Middlesbrough in the 1997–98 season has denied Liverpool a spot in the trophy match. As they continue to chase a wonderful four pieces of silverware, the nine-time champions are now just 90 minutes away from making a record-extending 14th appearance in the EFL Cup final.

A storyline like the first leg of Liverpool’s Premier League match against Bournemouth emerged eleven days after the team’s narrow victory over Fulham. The Reds were frustrated in the first half at the Vitality, but in the second half they showed off their best shooting performance.

With a fifth consecutive victory across all competitions, Nunez’s two goals and Diogo Jota’s own brace led Jurgen Klopp’s team to a commanding 4-0 victory on the South Coast. This gave the Reds five points over Arsenal, Manchester City, and Aston Villa at the top of the Premier League table.

The Reds have scored two goals or more in each of those wins, and since Christmas Day, Klopp’s team has triumphed in three straight away games against Arsenal, Burnley, and Bournemouth without giving up a goal. While their previous two visits to Craven Cottage resulted in draws of 1-1 and 2-2, respectively, the same cannot be said for this encounter; a draw would be more than satisfactory.

Team news

Adama Traore, a Fulham player, is the only player under the medical team’s care at the moment. The Spaniard may be able to recover from his hamstring injury in time to play against the Reds, but the best he can hope for is a position on the bench.

While Alex Iwobi, Calvin Bassey, and Fode Ballo-Toure, three players who represented their country at the Africa Cup of Nations, remain ineligible for selection, no new issues have surfaced following the Cottagers’ 1-0 loss to Chelsea two weekends ago.

Harrison Reed was only an unused substitute at Stamford Bridge after playing through illness in the first leg, but the Englishman is now primed to rejoin Joao Palhinha in the middle, and another goal for Willian would see him become just the third player to score in both legs of an EFL Cup semi-final against Liverpool, a feat previously achieved by Paul Merson and John Robertson.

Speaking of goal-scoring wingers, Mohamed Salah, the star player for Liverpool, has temporarily returned to Merseyside to receive treatment for a muscular injury he sustained during Egypt’s match against Ghana last Thursday. It is hoped that Salah will rejoin the national team in time for any potential semifinal.

Though Klopp will undoubtedly be missing Thiago Alcantara (hip), Stefan Bajcetic (calf), Joel Matip (ACL), Ben Doak (knee), Kostas Tsimikas (collarbone), Trent Alexander-Arnold (knee), and Andrew Robertson (shoulder) for a little bit longer, Wataru Endo is still active and productive for Japan.

It is possible that Dominik Szoboszlai’s thigh issue could get better in time for the Hungarian to play Fulham. His return would be especially welcome after Curtis Jones complained of stiffness in his hamstring against Bournemouth, though Jones’ substitution seemed to be more of a precautionary measure than a serious one.

Fulham possible starting lineup:
Leno; Castagne, Adarabioyo, Diop, Robinson; Palhinha, Reed; Decordova-Reid, Pereira, Willian; Jimenez

Liverpool possible starting lineup:
Alisson; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Gomez; Elliott, DarwinNunez, Gravenberch; Gakpo, Jota, Mac Allister

We say: Fulham 1-2 Liverpool (Liverpool win 4-2 on aggregate)

Liverpool is known for getting off to a poor start in the 2023–24 season, therefore Fulham, who has scored the opening goal in all five of their EFL Cup matches this season, might very well be riding high thanks to their early goal on Wednesday.

Silva’s team has no choice but to go all out, and even though Klopp’s fiery strikers can bite back even harder to send the Reds to Wembley, a defensively wobbly Liverpool team shouldn’t escape unscathed.

January 23, 2024
Five talking points as Liverpool overturns a deficit to seize control of the Fulham Carabao Cup semifinal

Liverpool defeats Fulham 2-1 in the first leg thanks to a double substitution by Jurgen Klopp, who despite losing Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah, helped his team rally from behind.

Liverpool defeated Fulham in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final at Anfield, coming back from behind to continue their incredible success.

After some careless Liverpool defending, Willian fired home to give Fulham the lead. The visitors were able to frustrate their opponents until the middle of the second half. Curtis Jones tied the score after Fulham wasted a fantastic opportunity to go ahead 2-0 when his shot deflected off Tosin Adarabioyo and beat Bernd Leno from a distance.

After that, Darwin Nunez crossed for Cody Gakpo, another substitute, to score at the near post. If Leno hadn’t stopped Nunez at point blank range, Liverpool would have won the game 3-1 and emerged as the stronger team overall. Even without important players, they enter the second leg as favourites to advance to the championship. The talking points from Mirror Football are as follows.

Conspicuously absent stars that are missing

With the Africa Cup of Nations coming up, Liverpool has always known they would need to manage without Mohamed Salah, but Trent Alexander-Arnold’s injury happened at a very unfortunate moment. It cost Liverpool not just one of their starting right flankers, but also their most inventive player.

Salah and Alexander-Arnold were replaced by Harvey Elliott and Conor Bradley, so it was not shocking that they were unable to reach those heights. While on loan at Bolton last season, Bradley scored five goals and provided four assists, demonstrating his natural attacking ability as a right-back. However, drawing analogies between Bradley and Alexander-Arnold is not constructive. However, putting the attacking side aside, it was evident that Willian and Antonee Robinson of Fulham were superior to their opponents on that flank.

Van Dijk off the pace

Due to illness, Virgil van Dijk was unable to play in the 2-0 victory over Arsenal. Klopp informed the reporters at the press conference following the game that van Dijk was sent home because he appeared “s***.” Although they were delighted to have the towering Dutchman back for the match, Van Dijk’s comeback wasn’t exactly joyful.

When Andreas Pereira fell in the first half after being touched in the face, he became agitated. Additionally, he made an uncommon error by failing to deal with Raul Jimenez during the build-up to the first goal, messing up a bouncing ball. To be honest, he seemed a bit off speed during the first half.

Marco Silva’s game plan undone

Despite the fact that Liverpool was without their two greatest players, Fulham seemed to be playing the ideal strategy. Prior to their arrival at Anfield, Marco Silva gave his team a thorough workout, and they had a clear game plan from the start: sit back with two banks of four and try to catch Liverpool off guard.

They were superb, utilising their advantages and trying to take advantage of Liverpool’s shortcomings. Willian and Bobby De Cordova-Reid’s quickness allowed them to get in behind the full-backs with straight balls over the top, and they made multiple threats as Liverpool pressed higher. They may have gone up 2-0 if De Cordova-Reid had squared for Pereira instead of attempting a long-range shot. Rather, a few minutes later, it

Instead, a few minutes later, an unfortunate deflection combined with some excellent Liverpool pushing made it 1-1.

Klopp makes wise substitutions.

Klopp had had enough. He substituted Nunez and Gakpo for Elliott and Ryan Gravenberch in the 56th minute. They worked together to swing the game in Liverpool’s favour fifteen minutes later. Diogo Jota’s perseverance and energy were largely responsible for the Reds’ second goal, but Klopp’s replacements came together to complete the attack.

Now, Gakpo has scored in each of Liverpool’s four Carabao Cup matches this year. The two provided Klopp with the ideal combination to turn the tide of the match in their favour because Fulham was playing deep.

Reds’ greatest quality is their tenacity

This season, Liverpool has had numerous instances where they looked to be out of the game. They have developed a habit of winning by coming from behind and holding on until things change. It is possibly their greatest quality.

Early in the second half, Fulham had a great run of play as Jimenez, Willian, and De Cordova-Reid all looked quite dangerous when they broke. Just what Fulham desired, the game seemed to be drifting and the Anfield crowd was silent. However, spurred on by their aggressive double substitution, Liverpool drew deeper and seized command of both the match and the series.

January 11, 2024
Liverpool’s projected starting lineup against West Ham – Premier League

Once again, Liverpool managed to secure a Premier League victory without needing a strong first half.

An early goal from Jordan Ayew on Boxing Day saw the league leaders trailing against Leicester City, but there was little doubt that Arne Slot’s side would eventually find a way past the Foxes to extend their lead at the top of the table.

Cody Gakpo’s magnificent goal just before the break set the tone for a second-half onslaught, with a final score of 3-1 showcasing the attacking strength of Liverpool. Moving through the gears effortlessly is not an issue, particularly with Slot adjusting tactically to improve his team’s chances.

The Reds will be eager to finish the year on a high before Manchester United arrives to start 2025. They will face West Ham on Sunday afternoon, and here’s the lineup Slot might choose for the match in east London.

Liverpool predicted lineup vs West Ham (4-2-3-1)
Liverpool came from behind to defeat Leicester on Boxing Day / Copa/GettyImages

GK:Alisson – The Brazilian has found clean sheets hard to come by since returning from injury, but Caoimhin Kelleher will only feature if Alisson faces another injury setback.

RB:Trent Alexander-Arnold – The full-back was relentless in his efforts to assist teammates at the back post on Boxing Day, particularly in the first half, before Liverpool adjusted their strategy after the break. Slot will be cautious with Alexander-Arnold after he played the full 90 minutes on Thursday, but Conor Bradley is still unavailable.

CB:Joe Gomez – Ibrahima Konate will reclaim a starting spot when he is available, but Gomez is proving to be a reliable deputy, just as he did last season.

CB:Virgil van Dijk – Ayew’s goal on Boxing Day deflected off Van Dijk’s boot, but he otherwise had little to do as Liverpool dominated Leicester for most of the match. Jarrod Bowen’s energy will pose a challenge for the Dutchman on Sunday.

LB:Kostas Tsimikas – Andy Robertson has played heavily over the past month, and many consider him to be the weakest link in Liverpool’s squad. Slot is likely to rest the Scotsman and bring Tsimikas back into the starting lineup.

CM:Ryan Gravenberch – A consistent presence at the base of midfield, Gravenberch has arguably been the Premier League’s top-performing midfielder this season, and Slot will be hesitant to rest him here.

CM:Alexis Mac Allister – Liverpool are at their best when Mac Allister excels in his central midfield role. He is the mastermind behind the team, but he has also contributed in the final third occasionally.

RM:Mohamed Salah – While Salah wasn’t at his best on Boxing Day, he still delivered for Fantasy Premier League managers (especially those who captained him) by scoring Liverpool’s third goal. Inevitably, he had an impact.

AM:Curtis Jones – Jones was outstanding against Leicester and continues to be a crucial member of the squad. With Dominik Szoboszlai suspended, this selection is a straightforward one.

LM:Cody Gakpo – Gakpo’s stunning curler sparked Liverpool’s momentum against Leicester, and the Dutchman is thriving on the left flank.

ST: Luis Diaz – Darwin Nunez’s frustrating performances suggest a change up front, and Diaz, who has impressed in a false nine role this season, was an unused substitute last time.

December 19, 2023
Match preview for Liverpool vs. Leicester City: team news, lineups, TV, kickoff time, and prediction.
Only three days after destroying West Ham, Liverpool will play in their third match in as many days when they take on Leicester City in the opening round of the Carabao Cup.

The 2023–24 season is barely a month old, and the fixture list is already jam-packed.

The Reds’ Europa League campaign began last Thursday against LASK, and they then defeated West Ham 3-1 at the weekend.
Now, Jurgen Klopp and company will play Leicester City for the first time since they were unexpectedly relegated from the Premier League last season.

The Reds also have a trip to high-flying Tottenham three days after their cup match against Leicester, so as if that weren’t enough, there will likely be a lot of midweek rotation.

However, Liverpool have excelled in every challenge they have faced this season thus far, and Klopp will undoubtedly be hoping that even a second-string lineup should be sufficient to defeat the Championship team.

Everything you need to know about the game is provided here.

DATE, KICK-OFF AND STADIUM
- Date: Wednesday, 27th September 2023
- Kick-off time: 19:45 BST / 14:45 ET / 11:45 PT
- Stadium: Anfield
Head-to-head recording.

Liverpool and Leicester have faced off against one another 121 times in history.
Surprisingly, the Reds have prevailed in 55 of those encounters, while drawing 25 and losing 41.

Liverpool, however, has been by far the superior team in the last ten meetings between the two clubs, winning seven, drawing one, and losing just twice.
The Reds’ most recent loss to the now-champion team occurred in December 2021, the middle of a disastrous campaign for Liverpool.

With an overall score of 7-1, Klopp’s team has won all three of the most recent meetings between the two teams.

Just two months ago, the Reds defeated the Foxes by a score of four in a preseason match in Singapore.

WHERE TO WATCH THE LIVERPOOL VS LEICESTER GAME ON TV.

Unfortunately, the match won’t be broadcast in the UK because it wasn’t chosen for coverage (yet another Liverpool match Liverpool fans can’t watch live).

The game is accessible on DAZN in Europe.

LIVERPOOL TEAM NEWS.

Trent Alexander-Arnold, an Englishman who was prematurely substituted against Aston Villa earlier this month, is the only player whose status in the squad for the game on Wednesday night is in serious doubt.
It is unknown if Alexander-Arnold will have fully recovered from his hamstring injury in time.

The initial estimate for the defender’s absence was two weeks.
Alexander-Arnold did not make the squad for Liverpool’s 3-1 victory over West Ham at the weekend, which marked three weeks since he first sustained the injury.

Due to the short turnaround between games, it is still unlikely that the 24-year-old will participate against Leicester; Klopp is probably going to give him until at least the weekend’s crucial match against Spurs to get back into match shape.

Another notable absence, though one that is certainly puzzling, is Thiago Alcantara.
The midfielder’s return to the Reds has not materialized despite reports that it was imminent at the beginning of the preseason.
A month and a half into the regular season, there are still no signs that the Spaniard will play for the Reds again.

Only young full-back Conor Bradley has been confirmed to be out, and it appears that he will be out for the majority of the remaining months of the year.

Again, Joe Gomez is the only really viable option to play right-back as a result, but supporters won’t mind because the club’s longest-tenured player has stepped up in recent weeks and excelled on that side of the defense.

In a drastically different starting lineup on Wednesday, young players like Ben Doak, Stefan Bajcetic, Jarell Quansah, and Bobby Clark might all get some playing time, and Caoimhin Kelleher should return to his role as the cup keeper.

In addition, Harvey Elliott, who didn’t play against West Ham, is probably going to have a major role.

LEICESTER TEAM NEWS

Concerns about first-team injuries or suspensions don’t exist for Leicester City. However, as was to be expected, their squad suffered greatly as a result of the club’s relegation last year, with well-known players like Harvey Barnes, James Maddison, and Youri Tielemans all leaving to continue their careers in the Premier League.

But even so, the game on Wednesday won’t be a walk in the park.
With seven victories and one tie through their first eight games, Enzo Maresca’s team is having a strong campaign and is currently leading the Championship.

To advance in the cup and to let Premier League teams know they’ll be back the following year, they’ll be looking to make a statement win against Liverpool.

PREDICTED LINEUP

It’s expected that Klopp will heavily rotate his team given Liverpool’s busy schedule this week and the upcoming match against Tottenham.

(4-3-3): Caoimhin Kelleher; Joe Gomez; Ibrahima Konate; Jarell Quansah; Kostas Tsimikas; Wataru Endo; Harvey Elliott; Ryan Gravenberch; Ben Doak; Cody Gakpo; and Diogo Jota.

PREDICTION.

Despite the disparity between the two, Liverpool may find it difficult to navigate this match because it will be followed by challenging Premier League matches against West Ham and Tottenham.

Many people wouldn’t be devastated by an early exit from this competition, which is undoubtedly the least valued of the four the Reds are participating in this season.

The Reds should have more than enough to advance, though, as they are in excellent form and the game is being played at Anfield. with the customary result.

Liverpool 3-1 Leicester City
September 26, 2023