Ben White and Joel Matip stood out, but Granit Xhaka was horrendous as Liverpool and Arsenal played out a goalless draw at Anfield on Thursday.
The first half was extremely difficult for Arsenal, as Cedric Soares’s injury compounded their right-back woes before Granit Xhaka’s incredibly petulant kick on Diogo Jota left the visitors down to ten men. But despite having a numerical advantage, Liverpool could not trouble Arsenal too much apart from the odd half-chance.
After the interval, the same story ensued as Liverpool pushed men forward without the desired output. Arsenal had a few moments where they troubled their hosts, but Alisson Becker was at hand to deny Bukayo Saka in one of those.
As full-time drew closer, a goalless draw seemed inevitable, but Takumi Minamino had a brilliant chance to break the deadlock with the goal at his mercy, only for him to sky his effort. While rivals Chelsea are waiting to find out their opponents in the final, the semi-final hangs in the balance following the 0-0 stalemate. The Hard Tackle now runs the rule over both sets of players.
Liverpool
Alisson Becker: 7/10
Making his first-ever appearance in the Carabao Cup, Alisson barely had anything to do in the game but was alert when Arsenal created their only chance in the game, expertly keeping out Bukayo Saka.
72' – Alisson makes an excellent stop to deny Saka from close range after a well-worked move from Arsenal.
[0-0]#LIVARS pic.twitter.com/KNLCXLFeaj
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) January 13, 2022
Trent Alexander-Arnold: 5/10
Back in the starting lineup after recovering from COVID-19, Alexander-Arnold was a constant outlet down the right flank. But his output let him down throughout the game, as he could not produce even one chance despite playing numerous long balls and crosses. He needs to get back to his best ahead of next week’s second leg.
Joel Matip: 8/10
Matip had to be at his best in the odd instances when Arsenal charged forward, as Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk were off their best. But the experienced defender was at hand to do the clear-up job, winning each of the duels he contested. On top of that, he also seemed to be Liverpool’s best playmaker at times, even playing a key pass.
Virgil van Dijk: 6/10
It is not every day that van Dijk’s partner outworks him. But on Thursday, the Dutchman was off the boil to some extend, as he was caught napping when Saka got at the end of Arsenal’s only chance in the game.
Andrew Robertson: 5/10
After Arsenal got reduced to ten men, Robertson and Alexander-Arnold should have taken the initiative to create chances aplenty. But, like his full-back partner, the Scot barely carried a threat, and his deliveries left a lot to be desired, even though he completed three key passes.
Jordan Henderson: 5/10
Henderson’s trademark first-time passes could have come in good use for Liverpool after Granit Xhaka’s dismissal. But the Liverpool captain could not deliver the goods and was sloppy with some of his touches while losing possession 19 times.
Fabinho: 6/10
With Liverpool up a man, Fabinho needed to up the tempo of the game to put Arsenal under intense pressure. But while the Brazilian kept play ticking, he could not interchange passes as quickly as was necessary. He did not have much defensive work to do, though.
James Milner: 5/10
Milner was here, there and everywhere, as is typical of him. But unlike his usual performances, the zip was missing from his output, and he barely carried a threat when roving up the pitch.
Diogo Jota: 5/10
Jota, the Player to Watch in our preview, needed to put his best foot forward to deliver a win for his team and stake claim for a regular berth when Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane return. But, apart from the moment when Granit Xhaka got sent off for kicking him, the Portuguese international was nowhere to be seen.
Roberto Firmino: 6/10
Firmino was back in a Liverpool starting lineup for the first time in nearly a month, and he was a rare bright spark for his side. The Brazilian did not get a chance to score as the Arsenal defenders overcrowded him. But he kept play ticking and got his teammates into the game smartly.
Takumi Minamino: 5/10
Minamino misses a huge chance to win it for Liverpool ? pic.twitter.com/TtQAGjhQav
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) January 13, 2022
Liverpool’s cup specialist had a game to forget on Thursday, as the Arsenal defenders kept him at arm’s length all through the match. But Minamino did get a glorious opportunity to break the deadlock and win it late for Liverpool, only to horribly sky his effort despite having an open goal at his mercy.
SUBSTITUTES
Curtis Jones: 7/10
Jones was a bundle of energy after replacing Milner and played two key passes in the final half an hour of the game. The youngster even came close to scoring but was denied by Aaron Ramsdale.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain: N/A
On for Fabinho, Oxlade-Chamberlain could not influence the proceedings, with the game passing him by in the last 15 minutes.
Neco Williams: N/A
It is not every day that Trent Alexander-Arnold gets outshined by another right-back. This time around, that was done by his own teammate, as Neco Williams posed a threat Alexander-Arnold did not possess on the night. But the Welshman could not produce a game-changing moment.
Joe Gomez: N/A
Given the final 15 minutes following Matip’s substitution, Gomez primarily looked to precisely build-up play from the back.
Arsenal
Aaron Ramsdale: 6/10
Ramsdale did not produce the most composed performance, but he managed to get through unscathed. The Englishman flapped at one or two crosses while an attempted clearance found Jordan Henderson. The Arsenal goalkeeper did not have much glovework to do, though, thanks to the defensive display in front of him.
Cedric Soares: N/A
With Takehiro Tomiyasu unavailable, Cedric got a rare opportunity to impress. However, his game lasted less than ten minutes, as he picked up an injury that forced him off the pitch early in the match.
Ben White: 8/10
Ben White: "There's so much fight in this team, it showed today. We dug deep and got the result we needed."
What a performance from him tonight:
Most tackles: 3
Most interceptions: 3
Most blocks: 3A deserving MOM award. pic.twitter.com/ynRgld3H1W
— Charles Watts (@charles_watts) January 13, 2022
With Arsenal down to ten men, White took it upon himself to keep the backline organised while producing brilliant defensive numbers – seven clearances, three blocks, three interceptions and three tackles. What an asset for Mikel Arteta.
Gabriel Magalhaes: 7/10
Back in the starting lineup after serving a suspension, Gabriel combined smartly with Ben White to keep Liverpool at bay. The Brazilian made five clearances, two interceptions and two tackles, which rendered Diogo Jota anonymous.
Kieran Tierney: 7/10
Tierney did not get many moments when he could storm the left flank and deliver dangerous crosses, although he did create one good chance for Bukayo Saka in the second half. Defensively, there was very little to complain about, with the Scot making several clearances.
Bukayo Saka: 7.5/10
Saka rarely got the opportunity to showcase his abilities in the final third, although he was the only Arsenal player who managed to muster a shot on target, only for Alisson Becker to deny him smartly. The Englishman worked really hard and supported Calum Chambers on his flank superbly.
A special moment for a young Gooner.
Just look at that smile on his face ?
? @BukayoSaka87 pic.twitter.com/94p9tRxJg7
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) January 13, 2022
Albert Sambi Lokonga: 7/10
Like most Arsenal players, Lokonga could not stitch play together as Liverpool easily piled on the pressure due to their numerical advantage following Granit Xhaka’s dismissal. However, despite being without his midfield partner, the young Belgian defended diligently and kept the hosts at bay as much as possible.
Granit Xhaka: 1/10
The general consensus before the game was that Xhaka’s return would be a huge boost for Arsenal. While that thought process was not wide off the mark, the Swiss international let his petulance get the better of him for the umpteenth time in his Arsenal career.
There was no need for his attempted clearance, which connected with Diogo Jota instead of the ball. He now leaves Arsenal without adept midfield cover for the North London Derby this coming weekend.
5 – Since his debut season with Arsenal in 2016-17, no Premier League player has been sent off more times in all competitions than Granit Xhaka (5). Orders. pic.twitter.com/MLVP5gaGVH
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 13, 2022
Gabriel Martinelli: 7/10
Thursday was not one of those days when Martinelli got the chance to showcase his incredible skills. Instead, the Brazilian had to put in the hard yards and support Tierney on his flank, which is what he did. But the relentless pressure from Liverpool meant his output on the ball was woeful, and he completed only 55 per cent of his attempted passes.
Alexandre Lacazette: 7/10
As has been the case many times in the past year, Lacazette had to play an anchor role and spent more time off the ball than on it. As a result, he barely got a chance coming his way, although his incredible work ethic helped Arsenal earn the draw.
Eddie Nketiah: 5/10
Nketiah can count himself as unfortunate for being taken off early, but Mikel Arteta had no other choice after Xhaka’s dismissal. The young striker had barely seen the ball before his substitution.
SUBSTITUTES
Calum Chambers: 7/10
On for Cedric inside the first ten minutes, Chambers was colossal in his display and made several clearances and interceptions to keep the ball as far away from Ramsdale as possible. However, his output on the ball was dreadful – 58 per cent passing rate – which pulls his rating back slightly.
Rob Holding: 7.5/10
Introduced in the game after Xhaka’s dismissal, Holding helped shore up things defensively, completing numerous clearances to alleviate the danger. The Englishman barely saw the ball, which is understandable as Arsenal had just 22 per cent of the possession.
Nuno Tavares: N/A
A late introduction, Tavares helped see the game out.
