Cup semi goes down to wire

Liverpool failed to take advantage of Granit Xhaka’s 24th-minute red card for a chest-high lunge on Diogo Jota and was held to a 0-0 draw by Arsenal in the first leg of the English League Cup semifinals. With star forwards Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane at the African Cup of Nations, Liverpool lacked a cutting edge up front against a depleted Arsenal team. The second leg is at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium next week, and the winner will play Chelsea in the final.