Liverpool 0-0 Arsenal: 4 talking points from Carabao Cup draw

Arsenal has produced a superb defensive display to hold Liverpool to a 0-0 draw at Anfield in the first-leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final tie.

The Gunners were without Martin Odegaard, who tested positive for COVID, while Emile Smith Rowe and Takehiro Tomiyasu were also unavailable with injury problems, leaving Mikel Arteta’s side down to the bare bones.

From the outset, Arsenal was put under heavy pressure from the home side and for the first 20 minutes, the Gunners were in survival mode with only a minor threat on the counter.

Unfortunately, as has been the case on many occasions when Arsenal are getting into the game, a moment of madness costs them, and this was no different. One-on-one with Diogo Jota, Granit Xhaka made a reckless challenge that brought down the Portuguese forward.

Liverpool 0-0 Arsenal: 4 talking points from defensive masterclass in Carabao Cup semi-final first leg at Anfield as Xhaka is sent off

Michael Oliver rightly gave Xhaka his marching orders just as Arsenal was getting a foothold in the game. Two red cards in three games in 2022.

For the rest of the half, Liverpool dominated possession and put Arteta’s team under heavy pressure. However, despite having a man advantage, the home side failed to carve out any real clear-cut chances as the Arsenal rear-guard stood firm to go into the tunnel 0-0 at half-time.

The second half followed similar lines with Liverpool dominating possession. Yet, the visitors continued to look threatening on the counter, particularly with Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli. For all of Liverpool’s possession and pressure, it took until the 92nd minute to register a shot on target and Jurgen Klopp’s side failed to truly test Arsenal until the closing stages of the game.

A 0-0 result means it is all to play for in the second league in just seven days’ time, with the small matter of a Premier League away trip to Tottenham up next.

1. Enough is Enough, Granit Xhaka

Get the part that we don’t want to talk about out of the way first.

Once again the Swiss international will be in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. After Arsenal were relatively sound defensively in the opening of the game, the visitors then began getting a foothold in the tie. Arsenal finally looked like settling. That was until Xhaka’s moment of madness that we have become all too accustomed to.

A long ball was played in the direction of Xhaka who was one-on-one with Jota, and he produced a brain fade when he didn’t need to. A high challenge on the Liverpool winger’s chest brought him down and Xhaka was shown his marching orders in something that is a disturbing theme. Could Ramsdale have come out to head the ball? It still doesn’t excuse the Swiss’ actions.

For months, Arsenal fans have been venting their frustration at Xhaka’s recklessness. The red card against Manchester City and now tonight’s card, surely enough is enough from the 29-year-old. He has been a liability for Arteta and his Arsenal side and it is time to make a change, irrespective of how important he can be to this team.

Whether that happens this season or not remains to be seen but it can no longer continue as so often Arsenal have been in games, only for Xhaka’s idiocy to prove fatal. Luckily for him, it did not cost Arsenal tonight. On another day it might have.

Enough is enough.

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2. Arsenal’s Sensational Away Support

“Where’s your famous atmosphere?”

Traveling to Anfield is always a daunting task. The home side’s support has often been seen as their 12th man, but tonight, it was the Arsenal support that was on song.

Riding every tackle, every contest – every single thing imaginable – the Gunners’ away faithful was simply sensational. Regularly heard above the home side’s support, they never stopped singing their hearts out in a game that could have ended vastly differently.

While the performance of the players was outstanding, they were pushed on by the ever spectacular Arsenal following.

Such was the display on the field that the away support continued to grow stronger as the game went on. Just as good as Arsenal was on the pitch, their superb traveling fans were equally as good off it and they certainly deserve a mention.

They were a big factor in the Gunners securing a positive result with all to play for in next Thursday.

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3. Another Mature Performance From Bukayo Saka

Arsenal’s talisman. The 20-year-old again produced another superb performance, especially when Arsenal was down to 10 men. At times it felt like Saka vs Liverpool.

His hold-up play, willingness to drive at Liverpool’s defense, and energy to get stuck into every element of the game were a standout. One of the Gunners’ best on what was a difficult night, but Saka produced a mature performance beyond his tender years.

Everything encouraging Arsenal delivered in transition or on the break came through him. Mesmeric energy levels.

He was taken off late in the game in what everyone will be hoping is just cramp, but the 20-year-old is showing why he is the future of the north London club – and English football. It is easy to produce performances when the team is playing well, but when you are up against it is when you find out about your players.

Tonight, Saka nearly took sole responsibility to be Arsenal’s shining light and lead them in difficult circumstances. What a talent this boy is. But we knew this already.

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4. Arteta’s Management Spot On

Not something that can always be said, but tonight the Spaniard got it right, and then some.

Having to replace Cedric with Calum Chambers early on and then to shuffle the deck when Xhaka was sent off, Arteta deployed his side to be tough to break down and they were exactly that. Chambers, to his credit, was superb.

The system employed to try and grind out a result and make the most positionally to pose a threat on the counter-attack was a 5-3-1 shape, with Martinelli and Saka tucking into midfield alongside Sambi. It’s something new and unheard of for all three of them, but it worked.

This team has weirdly been very effective as a low block side under Arteta.

Liverpool barely had a meaningful sniff throughout the entire game until late on in injury time. Rob Holding slotted in between White and Gabriel having made way for Eddie Nketiah thanks to Xhaka’s sending off, and Arsenal looked as defensively assured as ever.

That is down to what Arsenal does on the training ground with Arteta and after tonight’s performance, the Gunners boss deserves his flowers. Often blasted for getting it wrong, he deserves credit when he gets it right and tonight he did just that.

It was new. It was different. It was unorthodox. But he found a way to set the team up and they carried those duties out magnificently.