The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Crazy game is perfect 10 for Liverpool in end
CARABAO CUP: Match ends 5-5, with Reds triumphant in penalty shoot-out
A crazy Carabao Cup fourth-round game had an equally dramatic finish as Liverpool beat Arsenal 5-4 in a shootout after Divock Origi’s goal deep into added time to make it 5-5 had taken it to penalties at Anfield.
The game maybe did not have the aesthetic finesse of the 4-4 on this ground in 2009, when Andrey Arshavin scored all the visitors’ goals, but it was no less entertaining on a number of different levels.
Aside from 10 goals, there were a couple of non-decisions which looked prime candidates to be overruled for VAR had it been employed in this competition, back stories aplenty and, of course, Origi’s added-time equaliser.
Liverpool scored through Shkodran Mustafi’s own goal, James Milner’s penalty, Alex Oxlade-chamberlain and Origi (two).
On target for Arsenal were Gabriel Martinelli (two), Lucas Torreira, Ainsley Maitland-niles and Joe Willock.
In the shoot-out, Gunners’ substitute Dani Ceballos was the only one to miss as teenage Scouser Curtis Jones scored the winner in front of the Kop.
Marcus Rashford’s long-range missile fired Manchester United past Chelsea and into the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.
The England striker crashed in an unstoppable drive from 30 yards out to secure a 2-1 win and a place in the last eight.
Chelsea had hauled themselves level through Michy Batshuayi after Rashford opened the scoring from the penalty spot.
However, Rashford’s stunning freekick ended Chelsea’s seven-match winning streak as they failed to get a measure of revenge on United for their 4-0 defeat on the opening day of the season.
The teams have gone in opposite directions since then, with United struggling for form while Chelsea are fourth in the Premier League and joint top of their Champions League group.
However, it is now three straight wins – all away from home – for United to further ease the pressure on manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Ahmed Elmohamady downed Wolves to send Aston Villa into the quarterfinals of the Carabao Cup.
The defender grabbed a second-half winner to clinch a 2-1 victory as the hosts reached the last eight for the first time since 2012.
Patrick Cutrone did cancel out Anwar El Ghazi’s opener before missing a glorious chance to level for a second time.
Villa never looked in serious trouble, though, and they remain in the hunt for a trophy they last won in 1996.
It was Wolves’ 21st game of the season and boss Nuno Espirito Santo’s 11 changes suggested the competition was low on his priority list.
Teenagers Taylor Perry, Dion Sanderson and Chem Campbell were handed full debuts and despite Cutrone’s brief leveller, youthful Wolves were rarely a threat.
The draw will be made this morning.