Arsenal vs Liverpool Prediction & Betting Tips - Carabao Cup

Prediction published on 17/01/2022, 14:19  by Joseph King | Modified on 17/01/2022 at 20:19 in Carabao Cup Predictions

The Carabao Cup semi-final second leg pits Arsenal against Liverpool with the winner facing Chelsea in the final. The first leg was a scoreless 0-0 draw at Anfield, a result that Arsenal will undoubtedly be thrilled with. The Gunners were forced into parking the bus after Grant Xhaka’s red card 24 minutes into the match left them in the lurch, but Arteta’s side showed strong resilience and they managed to escape with the result they were after. They’ll now take this match back to the Emirates but there is doubt over whether this match will even take place. Arsenal somewhat controversially had their last match against rivals Tottehnam postponed due to a shortage of available players for the North London side. Liverpool, however, were able to bounce back after the 0-0 draw to Arsenal with a routine 3-0 home win against Brentford. Even without their star duo on the wings in Salah and Mane, the Reds still boast a deep squad and come into this match as favorites to advance.

This is a tough match to analyze given the doubts over the Arsenal player selection. The Gunners are still waiting on updates for the availability of a number of key players including Martin Odegaard and Emile Smith-Rowe. The Liverpool side, however, is much more settled. Despite the massive hole left by Mo Salah on the right wing, Liverpool still have more than enough talent to advance to the final of this competition. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Takumi Minamino were both on the score sheet in their last match and will be important pieces to fill the gaps caused by the AFCON. Add in talented players like Firmino, Jota and Van Dijk and it’s clear to see why this team is favored to advance. There is a possibility that this match doesn’t take place but with the current available odds and the doubts around the Arsenal squad, backing Liverpool seems the logical choice.