The English Football League Cup, currently known as Carabao Cup, is ahead of most domestic knockout competitions in Europe, and has already completed the first leg of the semi-finals. And there have been surprises, because Liverpool and Arsenal, leaders in Premier League this year, have both fallen before supposedly weaker teams Newcastle and Tottenham Hotspur.
First, on Tuesday, Arsenal lost 0-2 to Newcastle at home, despite a vast superiority statistically (Arsenal shot 23 times against 7 Newcastle shots and had a 70% ball possession) that didn't translate into goals. And yesterday, Tottenham beat Liverpool 1-0 with a late goal by Lucas Bergvall.
Yesterday's defeat was a clear contrast when compared to the 6-3 on late December, when Liverpool thrashed Spurs in the same stadium. "I don't think we will reach that level in every single game we play. You can always expect a reaction from Spurs, which you saw today, you can always expect a reaction from the fans because it's a semi-final", said Arne Slot, Liverpool's manager.
Luckily for the reds, this is just part one of the semi-final. The second leg will take place on February 5 (Newcastle vs. Arsenal) and Feb. 6 (Liverpool vs. Tottenham). The final will be at the Wembley Stadium on March 16, 2025.