Liverpool secured their spot in the Carabao Cup semi-final for the third time in four seasons with a 2-1 victory over Southampton at St. Mary’s Stadium.
First-half goals from Darwin Nunez and Harvey Elliott gave Liverpool the upper hand, despite Cameron Archer’s stunning solo effort pulling one back for the struggling Saints. The Reds will now face one of Arsenal, Newcastle, or the winner of Thursday’s clash between Tottenham and Manchester United in the last four.
Southampton, under interim manager Simon Rusk after Russell Martin’s dismissal following a 5-0 defeat to Tottenham, began brightly. However, their momentum faltered in the 25th minute when Nunez capitalized on Alex McCarthy’s slip to score. Trent Alexander-Arnold played a pivotal role in the goal, escaping pressure and delivering a deflected through ball to the Uruguayan forward.
Liverpool doubled their lead just eight minutes later through Harvey Elliott. The England Under-21 international marked his first start of the season with a low shot into the bottom corner, benefitting from a deflection after being teed up by Cody Gakpo.
Arne Slot, serving a one-game touchline ban, made changes at halftime, bringing on Konstantinos Tsimikas and Federico Chiesa in place of Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez. However, Southampton clawed their way back into the match in the 57th minute. Archer picked up the ball in his own half, surged forward unchallenged, and unleashed a spectacular strike past Caoimhin Kelleher to spark hope for the home side.
Despite growing confidence from Southampton, Liverpool defended resolutely. Taylor Harwood-Bellis made a crucial clearance to deny Chiesa’s goal-bound effort, and referee Simon Hooper waved away late penalty appeals after Jarell Quansah tangled with Mateus Fernandes in stoppage time.
Liverpool join Arsenal and Newcastle in the semi-finals, with the final slot to be decided between Tottenham and Manchester United on Thursday night.
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