By Razeen Gutta
Liverpool and Arsenal both registered 5-1 wins in their Carabao Cup third round ties on Wednesday.
Arne Slot’s much-altered eleven still looked as strong as ever, with the Dutchman opting with a 4-2-4 formation with Cody Gakpo, Diogo Jota, Darwin Nunez and new signing Federico Chiesa spearheading the attack.
West Ham were back at Anfield where they exited the competition last season. They did get off to the perfect start this time, though, with Jarell Quansah finding the back of his own net midway through the first half.
The hosts bounced back in style, however, with Jota netting four minutes later and again shortly after the break to put the Reds in front.
Mohamed Salah made an instant impact off the bench to make it 3-1 before Gakpo’s excellent performance was rewarded with a brace at the death.
At the Emirates, the Gunners were dominant over Bolton Wanderers with Declan Rice scoring early on.
17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri marked his first start with two goals while Raheem Sterling and Kai Havertz also made the scoresheet as Mikel Arteta’s side booked their place in round four.
The draw for the next round took place post-match, with Liverpool set to continue their title defence with a trip to Brighton.
Arsenal will take on Preston away from home, Manchester City will travel to Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United will host Leicester City in some of the other notable ties.
Pictured above: Liverpool
Source: @liverpoolfc
