SPORF’s exclusive Carabao Cup Upcoming Matches Preview

The 2021/22 Carabao Cup has now reached the Semi-Final stage, with two games now standing in the way of a trip to Wembley for the remaining four teams.

The Quarter-Final stage of the competition saw plenty of exciting action. A total of 17 goals were scored across the four matches, with Arsenal netting on five occasions.

The competition will now change to a two-legged format, Each team will play against each other home and away.

Tottenham Hotspur v Chelsea

The first Carabao Cup Semi-Final will see Tottenham Hotspur take on Chelsea on January 12 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Thomas Tuchel’s side defeated Brentford 2-0 in the Quarter-Finals after an own goal from Pontus Jansson and a penalty from Jorginho.

Spurs, meanwhile, played out an entertaining 2-1 victory over West Ham United. All the goals came within five first-half minutes. Steven Bergwijn and Lucas Moura got on the scoresheet for Antonio Conte’s side.

Both clubs have recent history in this competition. Spurs will be looking to make inroads towards their second Carabao Cup Final in a row with a positive result in the first leg. They last lifted the trophy in 2008, beating Chelsea 2-1 in the final. Chelsea, meanwhile, are looking to win the competition for the first time since 2015. On that occasion, they defeated Spurs 2-0 in the final.

The two teams last faced each other in September in a Premier League fixture at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Blues emerged 3-0 winners thanks to goals from Thiago Silva, N’Golo Kante and Antonio Rudiger.

In the first leg of their Semi-Final tie, Chelsea emerged as 2-0 winners after Kai Havertz’s fifth-minute strike and an own goal from Ben Davies.

Liverpool v Arsenal

In the other Semi-Final of this year’s competition, Liverpool take on Arsenal at Anfield on January 13. The first leg of the tie was due to be played the previous week at the Emirates Stadium, but the game was postponed due to Covid-19.

The Gunners defeated Sunderland 5-1 in their Quarter-Final tie. Eddie Nketiah netted a hat-trick for Mikel Arteta’s side. They knocked out the only EFL team remaining in the competition.

Jurgen Klopp’s side, meanwhile, were involved in arguably the tie of the round in the Quarter-Finals. They came from 3-1 down to draw 3-3 with Leicester City. Takumi Minamino scored a 95th-minute equaliser.

In the penalty shootout that ensued, Diogo Jota converted the winning spot-kick.

Last time Arsenal and Liverpool faced off in the Carabao Cup, we saw an astonishing game of football. The sides shared the spoils with an incredible 5-5 draw in normal time at Anfield back in 2019. Divock Origi scored a dramatic last-minute leveller for the Reds.

That meant a penalty shootout. Curtis Jones netted the winning spot-kick for Liverpool.

The year of 2022 marks 10 years since the Reds last won this competition. They beat Cardiff City in the final on that occasion. Arsenal, meanwhile, have not lifted the trophy since 1993, when they beat Sheffield Wednesday at Wembley.

Make sure you head over to the EFL’s official website to find out more about match tickets, the history of the Carabao Cup and the Goal of the Round winners!

Also, make sure you follow the SPORF and EFL social media channels for preview, reaction, goals and more from the Carabao Cup!

Featured Image Credit: Getty

This article is part of a paid partnership with the EFL.