English League Cup Semi-Final Preview: Big Guns Chasing a Spot at Wembley

Liverpool and Arsenal will bid to overturn first-leg deficits when they play the reverse fixtures in their respective English League Cup semi-final ties.

Tottenham Hotspur defeated Liverpool 1-0 in their first meeting and will be desperate to hang on to their advantage when they visit Anfield on February 6.

Arsenal have a mountain to climb when they travel to Newcastle United the previous day. The Magpies grabbed a 2-0 win at the Emirates Stadium and are the favourites to progress.

Liverpool vs Tottenham

Tottenham were winless in five games across all competitions when Liverpool travelled to London, but raised their game to upset the odds.

Spurs did not create too many clear-cut chances, but Lucas Bergvall made no mistake when he stroked the ball home following excellent hold-up play from Dominic Solanke.

They held on for a precious 1-0 win to hand Liverpool only their second loss of the season and will defend that scoreline with all their might in the reverse fixture.

Liverpool have lost only two of their last 20 games in the League Cup (W12, D6). However, Tottenham showed they were no pushovers in the first leg.

Manager Ange Postecoglou previously bragged about always delivering a trophy in his second season with a club, and the League Cup is his best bet.

Their typically error-prone defence did not give much away as Radu Dragusin and Archie Gray held the fort. They were helped by confident new goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky.

Tottenham are not the bookmakers’ favourites, but the Australian manager could conjure up another battling performance from his team.

Spurs are rated as 2.75 shots to reach the final and Aussie punters will likely back their compatriot’s team to get the job done.

The oddsmakers on all betting sites in Australia will be fearing a big payout given Postecoglou’s popularity with sports bettors in his homeland. Liverpool are priced at 1.50 to overturn the deficit and will be keen to capitalise on their opponents’ lengthy injury list.

Tottenham have a slender advantage in the bag, but keeping Liverpool’s array of attacking talent at bay will be no easy task.

Newcastle vs Arsenal

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Newcastle went into the first leg riding the crest of a wave after seven wins on the bounce. The Gunners were forewarned, having been beaten by the Magpies in a league fixture.

Arsenal transfer target Alexander Isak scored to show the Gunners what they are missing, while Kai Havertz repeatedly fluffed his lines for the home side.

Anthony Gordon doubled the lead before adding insult to injury with a Thierry Henry flag celebration. Arsenal will be sick of the sight of Gordon, who scored a goal to derail their title hopes last season.

Newcastle repelled everything Arsenal threw at them, putting their bodies on the line for the win. They welcome Arsenal to St James’ Park in a healthy position.

This is only Newcastle’s third appearance in the League Cup semi-finals, but they have progressed to the final in each of the previous two (1975/76 vs Tottenham, 2022/23 vs Southampton). They are desperate for a trophy to crown their new era under Saudi Arabian ownership. Manager Eddie Howe is also seeking silverware to prove to people he is a top coach.

However, Arsenal will give them a run for their money even though they have not reached the final of this competition since 2011.

Manager Mikel Arteta is under pressure to deliver silverware after flattering to deceive over the past two seasons. The League Cup is a chance to ease the tensions among fans who have seen their team come up short at too many critical junctures.

Newcastle are overwhelming favourites with the bookmakers to progress to the final, but an early goal for Arsenal could set up a frantic night at St James’ Park.