Crystal Palace Stuns Liverpool; Newcastle, Arsenal Advance in Cup

Crystal Palace delivered a shocking performance by defeating Liverpool 3-0 in the fourth round of the League Cup at Anfield. This loss marks Liverpool’s sixth defeat in seven matches across all competitions, raising concerns over their current form. Other Premier League giants, including Newcastle United, Arsenal, Manchester City, and Chelsea, secured their places in the quarterfinals with impressive victories.

Liverpool struggled throughout the match, with Crystal Palace taking control just before halftime. The opening goal came in the 41st minute when Liverpool defender Joe Gomez failed to clear the ball effectively, allowing Ismaïla Sarr to fire a powerful shot past goalkeeper Freddie Woodman. With the rain pouring down, Sarr struck again just before the break, capitalizing on a clever pass from Yeremy Pino.

The situation worsened for Liverpool when Amara Nallo was sent off in the 79th minute, marking his second red card in two senior appearances. Pino added a third goal in the 88th minute, sealing Liverpool’s fate. Manager Slot expressed his disappointment to Sky Sports, stating, “It’s not of Liverpool standards to lose six out of seven.” He emphasized that every match for Liverpool is crucial, especially with an upcoming fixture against Aston Villa.

This defeat was notable as it marked the first time Liverpool lost a domestic cup match at Anfield by three goals without scoring since February 1934, when they fell to Bolton in the FA Cup. Furthermore, it was the third time Palace triumphed over Liverpool this season. Palace manager Oliver Glasner acknowledged the achievement, noting, “I don’t know how often this happens when you play the champions three times within three months, and you win three times.”

Newcastle and Arsenal Progress

Newcastle United advanced to the quarterfinals with a 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur at St James’ Park. Fabian Schar opened the scoring in the first half, followed by a second-half goal from Nick Woltemade. Manager Eddie Howe praised his team’s performance, stating, “It’s most important the attitude is right from minute one.”

Arsenal also secured their place in the next round with a 2-0 victory against Brighton & Hove Albion. Young star Ethan Nwaneri, just 18 years old, broke the deadlock in the 57th minute, and Bukayo Saka added a second goal in the 76th minute. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta highlighted the significance of the evening, mentioning the debut of two young players, Max Dowman and Andre Harriman-Annous.

Manchester City faced a challenge against second-tier Swansea City, who took the lead with a goal from Goncalo Franco. However, City equalized just before halftime through Jeremy Doku and went on to win 3-1 with goals from Omar Marmoush and Rayan Cherki.

Chelsea edged past Wolverhampton Wanderers in a thrilling 4-3 encounter at Molineux. Chelsea initially led 3-0 with goals from Andrey Santos, Tyrique George, and Estevao, but Wolves fought back. Despite a late red card for Liam Delap, Chelsea’s Jamie Gittens scored to make it 4-2 before Wolves’ David Moller Wolfe netted his second goal in added time.

Upcoming Quarterfinals

The draw for the quarterfinals revealed exciting matchups: Arsenal will host Crystal Palace, while third-tier Cardiff City will take on Chelsea. The holders, Newcastle United, are set to face Fulham, and Manchester City will host Brentford. The last-eight matches are scheduled for the week of December 15, 2023. Notably, four of the quarterfinalists — Brentford, Fulham, Cardiff City, and Crystal Palace — have never won the League Cup, setting the stage for potential upsets.