ARSENAL are facing Liverpool TONIGHT in their crunch Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg tie.
Though the Gunners have a mountain to climb, after Granit Xhaka was sent off in the 22nd minute for a reckless lunge as the last man on Diogo Jota.
The second leg at the Emirates is set to take place next Thursday, with Chelsea awaiting the winner in the final at Wembley on February 27 after their victory over Tottenham.
- Kick-off: 7.45pm
- TV/ live stream: Sky Sports Main Event, Football
- Liverpool XI: Allison; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Henderson, Milner; Minamino, Firmino, Jota
- Arsenal XI: Ramsdale; Cedric, White, Gabriel, Tierney; Sambi, Xhaka; Saka, Lacazette, Martinelli; Nketiah
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- Wally Downes Jr
Liverpool 0 Arsenal 0
92 Arsenal defender Ben White gets named the Man of the Match and that sums up this match.
Minamino fires over an open goal after Ramsdale finally makes a mistake. Massive chance missed.
Curtis Jones goes down but it's never a penalty.
- Wally Downes Jr
Liverpool 0 Arsenal 0
89 Nico Williams darts down the right and dinks in a cross but Ramsdale claims it.
Liverpool have missed Salah and Mane so much.
This will be a great draw for Arsenal after playing for so long with 10 men.
Williams whips in a cross down the right but Ramsdale gobbles it up again.
- Wally Downes Jr
Liverpool 0 Arsenal 0
83 Saka does leave the pitch and is replaed by Nuno Tavares.
Oxlade-Chamberlain takes aim against his former club and hits a minger into the crowd.
Then his cross is too heavy and bounces out for an Arsenal goal kick.
- Wally Downes Jr
Liverpool 0 Arsenal 0
79 Saka needs medical attention and looks like he may need replacing.
The England ace takes a tablet with some water and tries to continue.
Another Liverpool attack collapses onto Ramsdale's arms.
And Henderson skies an effort well over the bar.
- Wally Downes Jr
Liverpool 0 Arsenal 0
75 Liverpool make three changes all at once.
Oxlade-Chamberlain, Nico Williams and Joe Gomez on for Fabinho, Alexander-Arnold and Matip.
Can fresh legs settle this tie?
- Wally Downes Jr
Liverpool 0 Arsenal 0
74 Arsenal defender Gabriel goes into the book for a foul.
Alexander-Arnold is about to be subbed off.
Martinelli breaks for the Gunners but he cannot complete the killer pass.
- Wally Downes Jr
Liverpool 0 Arsenal 0
72 Another Liverpool attack amounts to nothing.
James Milner is seen on the subs' bench icing his face after taking a whack.
Minamino boots away a Liverpool clearance.
Saka gets a chance at close range but cannot convert as Alisson clears.
- Wally Downes Jr
Liverpool 0 Arsenal 0
68 Matip, Jota and Henderson swap short passes until Arsenal rob them.
But the visiting 10 men cannot create anything.
Lacazette is furious with his side's efforts and then Liverpool go close with Minamino firing across goal.
- Wally Downes Jr
Liverpool 0 Arsenal 0
65 It looks like a training session out there for Liverpool.
Arsenal absorbing so much pressure.
Liverpool are looking for the 82nd goal of their season.
But Arsenal are digging in and battling.
- Wally Downes Jr
Liverpool 0 Arsenal 0
62 The Gunners are getting 10 men behind the ball and defending well.
Crunching tackle between Matip and Saka leaves the Liverpool defender wounded.
Milner is subbed off for Curtis Jones.
- Wally Downes Jr
Liverpool 0 Arsenal 0
56 A slow start to the second half.
The red home side is poking and probing but Arsenal hold firm.Alexander-Arnold tries to find Firmino.
Robertson gets booked for tugging Saka's shirt and Alisson punches away the free-kick.
- Wally Downes Jr
Liverpool 0 Arsenal 0
47 Rapid Ramsdale races out to claim another loose Liverpool pass.
Arsenal create down the right but Liverpool defend stoically.
The whistle goes for half-time.
- Wally Downes Jr
Liverpool 0 Arsenal 0
45 Opening half about to end with the match goalless.
Both sides have had half-chances.
But Xhaka's red has killed Arsenal's game.
- Wally Downes Jr
Liverpool 0 Arsenal 0
42 Jurgen Klopp is not happy with a wasted Firmino chance.
And then Matip gifts Arsenal a corner with a sliced clearance.
Alisson punches the ball away and then Saka wins a free-kick.
But it bounces out of play after being over hit.
- Wally Downes Jr
Liverpool 0 Arsenal 0
40 Holding concedes a corner that Alexander-Arnold takes but it is poor.
Ramsdale races off his line and claims a Liverpool through-ball.
Arsenal are sitting off and deep and inviting pressure.
- Wally Downes Jr
Liverpool 0 Arsenal 0
38 Liverpool win and waste a free-kick own the left.
The home side calmly builds another attack.
Henderson passes to Matip and then Firmino.
Patient build-up play.
- Wally Downes Jr
Liverpool 0 Arsenal 0
34 Liverpool knocking it about and Arsenal no longer pressing high and hard.
Tierney belts a clearance into the crowd.
Alexander-Arnold balloons a cross out for an Arsenal goal-kick.
- Wally Downes Jr
Liverpool 0 Arsenal 0
Jurgen Klopp's men will have even more possession now against 10.
Arsenal will shut up shop and try to nick something.
Will Arsenal hold out playing almost 70 minutes with a man less?
- Wally Downes Jr
Liverpool 0 Arsenal 0
29 Rob Holding comes and and Eddie Nketiah gets hooked.
The Arsenal striker will not be happy about that.
Lacazette will now play up front on his own.
Holding's first touch is a horribly sliced clearance that goes out for a corner.
- Wally Downes Jr
Liverpool 0 Arsenal 0
27 "Cheerio, cheerio" rings out around Anfield as Xhaka exits.
Defender Rob Holding will now come on to try to help his side shore up.
Alexander-Arnold smashes the free-kick into the wall and then the rebound off the pitch for a goal-kick.
- Wally Downes Jr
Liverpool 0 Arsenal 0
23 Red card for Xhaka of course.
Matip powers forward from the Liverpool defence.
Milner loses the ball and Arsenal attack with Nketiah.
Then Liverpool race away and Xhaka goes in on Jota with a high boot and is off.
- Wally Downes Jr
Liverpool 0 Arsenal 0
22 James Milner is hurt by a stray arm in an aeriel challenge.
Robertson takes a throw and Liverpool build from the back again.
Lacazette sparks a counter attack but Matip kills it.
- Wally Downes Jr
Liverpool 0 Arsenal 0
18 Arsenal have survived the early pressure and tested the Liverpool defence now.
The home side is still having most of the ball.
Alisson has the ball at his feet and plays Fabinho but Liverpool squander the ball and Lacazette thunders a wild shot high and wide.
- Wally Downes Jr
Liverpool 0 Arsenal 0
14 Liverpool piling on more pressure.
Firmino goes close.
Chambers gets skinned by Robertson and a deflected shot goes out for a corner to Liverpool.
Nketiah heads the outswinging corner away.
- Wally Downes Jr
Liverpool 0 Arsenal 0
12 Chambers slots into the Gunners defence.
Ramsdale tries to clear but thunders the ball into Henderson.
Luckily for Arsenal their goalkeeper recovers and concedes a corner that he then punches away.
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