This game has been postponed due to several cases of Covid-19 in the Liverpool squad.

Prediction and odds for the game: Arsenal (5/4) vs Liverpool (19/10)

We are backing the draw at odds of 11/4

When: Thursday 6 January 2022, Kick-off 19:45

Where: The Emirates Stadium

On Thursday night, Arsenal and Liverpool clash at the Emirates Stadium in the semi-final first leg of the Carabao Cup.

Arsenal

The Gunners recent decent run of form ended last time out, as Mikel Arteta’s team suffered a controversial last-gasp 2-1 defeat against reigning champions and league leaders Manchester City.

The team from north London produced a superb first-half display. However, the game started to unravel in the second half, as the Gunners were reduced to ten men with the dismissal of centre-back Gabriel. The defeat ended a five-game winning run in all competitions.

Despite the defeat, Arsenal are in the Premier League’s Champions League spots, although the teams below them have games in hand. The Carabao Cup may represent the Gunners best chance of lifting a trophy this season.

Arsenal have a good recent record in the League Cup, winning their last four matches in the competition, scoring at least twice in each win, and keeping three clean sheets in the process. Their only League Cup defeat in seven games came at the end of 2020 when they suffered a 4-1 loss against Manchester City.

Arsenal will be majorly hit by the absence of departing players for the African Cup of Nations. Thomas Partey, Nicolas Pepe, Mohamed Elneny and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will all represent their countries in the tournament.

Liverpool

The Reds suffered a big blow in the race for the Premier League title last time out, as they threw a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with second-place Chelsea. The draw leaves Jurgen Klopp’s team 11 points behind leaders Manchester City, although they do have a game in hand on the Citizens.

The result means that Liverpool have failed to win any of their last four matches in all competitions in 90 minutes, although they did beat Leicester on penalty kicks in the last round of this competition.

Liverpool are unbeaten in five games over 90 minutes in the Carabao Cup, having recorded four wins. The other game saw the men from Merseyside suffer a penalty kick defeat against Arsenal at Anfield in last season’s competition. They will be looking to avoid a similar fate this season.

The Reds could be in for a tough couple of weeks, as they will be without star forwards Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, as well as midfield Naby Keita, who have all now left for the African Cup of Nations.

Conclusion

Both teams have major absentees due to AFRCON duty, injuries and Covid-19. That makes this game harder to judge. Both teams have fielded weakened line-ups in past rounds, but with silverware now insight they may field stronger teams. We are backing this game to finish in a high-scoring draw.

Our Tips: We are backing the draw at odds of 11/4 and/or over 2.5 goals scored at odds of 7/10. (All odds are taken from Bet365).

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Which team will bounce back to winning ways and gain an advantage to take into the second leg?