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Liverpool secured their place in the Carabao Cup final, beating Arsenal 2-0 in the second leg of their semi-final at the Emirates Stadium on Thursday. The first leg between the two teams at Anfield a week ago had ended goalless. Diogo Jota starred with a sumptuous brace, taking the Reds through to a final with Chelsea in late February.
Arsenal started the game strongly, going close with a few chances in the opening ten minutes. However, a moment of magic from Jota disrupted the home side's momentum as the Reds opened the scoring.
Jota made it two for the night when he was picked up wonderfully by a trademark Trent Alexander-Arnold cross from the deep. The Portuguese forward controlled the ball well before chipping it past the incoming Ramsdale. While the goal was earlier ruled out as offside, Video Assistant Referee (VAR) overturned the decision.
Liverpool will now take on Chelsea in the final on 27 February at the Wembley in London. On that note, here are the five talking points from the game:
#1 Jota wonder goal for Liverpool derails Arsenal
The first six minutes of the game were completely dominated by the Gunners. Alexandre Lacazette's free-kick hit the crossbar Martin Odegaard then combined with Emile Smith Rowe to release Martinelli down the left flank as Arsenal made their intentions clear from kick-off.
However, their momentum was punctured when Portuguese starlet Diogo Jota made a daunting run towards the Arsenal back-four, leaving them for dead. He then generated enough power to fire past Aaron Ramsdale. His second of the night confirmed the win for the Reds.
Jota now has ten Premier League goals and two in the Carabao Cup. He has ensured that the Scousers have not missed Mohamed Salah or Sadio Mane.
#2 Lack of clinical finishing separates Gunners from England's elite
Thursday night was a perfect example of how Arsenal have evolved positively under Mikel Arteta. The Gunners, who were in the relegation zone after three game weeks in the Premier League, have looked sharper since their home loss to Manchester City. That is a testament to the Londoners' good performances under Arteta.
It was impressive how easily Arsenal progressed the ball and pierced Liverpool's midfield on the night. That was coupled with their fabulous front five of Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka, Alexandre Lacazette, Martin Odegaard and Emile Smith Rowe. They showed off their agility, keeping Liverpool defenders on their toes throughout the game.
However, one thing that separated Arsenal from Liverpool was the quality of ball control and the ball passage in the final third. Though the Reds made a scrappy entry into the last third, they were very ferocious and clinical. They had three shots on target in the first half. Arsenal are lacking that at the moment as they seek a return to being one of the elites in English football.
#3 Liverpool paint London a different shade of red
While the first half belonged to Arsenal, Liverpool switched up a gear in the second. Several Reds players came close to scoring, with Diogo Jota making it a double ten minutes before full-time. Jota's artistic chip from Alexander-Arnold's sublime pass was a sumptuous one, typical of Liverpool playing their hard metal brand of football.
The goal came just a few minutes after Ibrahima Konate hit the crossbar and Jordan Henderson was ruled offside in a chaotic exchange in the Arsenal box. Coming on for Joel Matip at the heart of the Liverpool defence, Konate, with his physical presence, was too much for Arsenal on the night.
The Reds did not switch off after their second goal. Their full-backs and central midfielders continued to press their Arsenal counterparts to recover the ball high up the pitch in the final thirty minutes of the game. That ensured Arsenal never came back into the game despite impressing in the first half.
#4 A long day culminates with a send-off for Thomas Partey
Arsenal's big-money recruit from Atletico Madrid, Thomas Partey, woke up in Cameroon after Ghana's premature exit from the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). He ended the day coming on for Arsenal in the second half.
With injuries and suspensions plaguing London's red half, the Ghanaian's presence earned him rich applause from Arsenal fans.
However, the night turned sour for the midfielder, as he was shown a second yellow after a foul on Liverpool's Fabinho's late in the game. Partey will now miss the next game at the Emirates against Burnley in the Premier League. However, Granit Xhaka, who was suspended for this game, will be available for selection against the Clarets.
In the 16 minutes of game-play, Partey had just seven touches of the ball. The ex-Atletico Madrid man won only one of his three duels contested on the night. Mikel Arteta will have to shuffle up his formation, as he only has Xhaka available for the Burnley game. Mohamed Elneny and Thomas Partey will be unavailable.
#5 Liverpool make it five games unbeaten and three clean sheets in a row
The semi-final win extended Liverpool's unbeaten run across competitions to five games.
The Reds have now kept three consecutive clean sheets in a row. They have scored nine goals in their last four games, while just conceding one against Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup.
Jurgen Klopp will be happy with how his squad has reacted to the recent rough patch they endured after their stalemate with Spurs. They had won just once in four games following their visit to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
However, Diogo Jota has stepped up, while full-backs Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson have upped their attacking output. That means Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane's departure for the Africa Cup of Nations has not resulted in a huge headache for the German gaffer. With Liverpool facing Crystal Palace next, a team that has given the Reds some thrills in the past, Klopp could miss the African duo.
Both Liverpool and Arsenal will play again in less than 72 hours. The Gunners will host Burnley, while Liverpool will make a trip to Selhurst Park as Premier League action returns this weekend.
