Arsenal vs Liverpool Carabao Cup preview: How to watch, lineups, selection, & prediction

Arsenal have only just finished licking their Manchester City shaped wounds before they’re back in action on Thursday to they host Liverpool in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final. Here is the match preview.

There is a great deal to be enthused about following the events of last weekend. Mikel Arteta’s side, albeit without Mikel Arteta, put in their best performance for years as they lost in heartbreaking fashion against the reigning champions.

Dominating the first half and deservedly getting in front, it all came tumbling down for the Gunners as a crazy four-minute spell saw Granit Xhaka concede a penalty, Gabriel Martinelli miss an open goal and Gabriel receive his marching orders.

That period turned the tide of the match. Yet even with ten men Arsenal showed immense bravery to continue trying to push for a winning goal only to be undone in the third minute of stoppage time.

Arsenal vs Liverpool preview: Carabao Cup semi-final first leg tie as Gunners host Klopp’s depleted Reds at Emirates Stadium

While it’s a performance that produced zero points, it was littered with positive points.

And the hope is that this level can be matched when Arsenal come up against the best sides in the country again. Their next game? Liverpool at home, of course.

Obliterating League One Sunderland 5-1 in the quarter-finals set up a mouthwatering tie with Jurgen Klopp’s men, Arteta’s side are aiming to add silverware to their ultimate goal of returning to the Champions League.

Temporarily bidding farewell to four players as Thomas Partey, Nicolas Pepe, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Mohamed Elneny take part in AFCON, despite the numerical difference it is undoubtedly the Reds who are impacted more: Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Naby Keita have all jetted off to Cameroon.

Klopp has always shown more willingness to blood academy stars in his teams for the Carabao Cup, but with it reaching the semi-final stage there is no way that this Arsenal side can take their foot off the gas.

This is set up to be an invigorating first leg.

How to Watch on TV

When Is Kick Off? Thursday 6 January
What Time Is Kick Off? 19:45 (GMT)
Where Is it Played? Emirates Stadium
TV Channel/Live Stream? Sky Sports Main Event (UK) fuboTV (USA)
Referee? Michael Oliver

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