Arsenal have a chance to book a ticket for Wembley when they face-off against Liverpool in the second-leg of the Carabao Cup semifinal on Thursday, so let’s take a look at the team news.
After managing to draw the first leg, Mikel Arteta and his men will go into this game with some confidence. The Gunners did exceptionally well to come away from Anfield without conceding a goal.
The best aspect of that performance was that they did not give the hosts too many chances. And now at the Emirates, they have a chance to get one over the Reds and reach the final where Chelsea are waiting.
As for the team news, the north Londoners are without a number of players. Thomas Partey, Nicolas Pepe, and Mohamed Elneny are still active at the AFCON. Though Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has returned to London, he is said to have some kind of health complication.
Apart from that, the Gunners are very likely to be without the services of Emile Smith Rowe, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Cedric Soares. Martin Odegaard would have completed his isolation period by matchday but will have to test negative. Also, Pablo Mari is close to completing a loan move and Granit Xhaka is suspended for this game.
Arsenal Fever View:
The north Londoners can take a lot of pride in the fact that they were able to contain Liverpool for long periods. And though they are missing a lot of players, the hosts do have some talent that can cause real problems.
Arteta would want his team to be defensively solid and contain the visitors. If they can ensure a clean sheet, the likes of Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli can focus on scoring for the Gunners.
It is going to take a lot from the hosts to be on the winning side but doing so, would mean a lot for them. This is a season that has transformed into something promising as far as Arsenal are concerned. Having already won two domestic trophies, the manager would be keen to add another. And despite having to play with a depleted squad, the Spaniard will be confident that his players can get the job done.
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