Liverpool Echo

Arsenal closed the gap on Premier League leaders Liverpool with a 2-1 derby triumph at home to Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday

David Raya claims Arsenal are now confident they can catch Liverpool in the race for the Premier League title after their crucial comeback win against Tottenham Hotspur. The Gunners moved to within four points of Arne Slot's table-topping side after Leandro Trossard fired the winning goal on the stroke of half-time in a 2-1 derby triumph which breathes fresh life into the club's championship tilt following consecutive cup defeats by Newcastle and Manchester United.

And when it was put to Raya that Arsenal must feel optimistic that Liverpool's lead can be wiped out, the Spain international goalkeeper replied: "Yes, of course. In football, everything can happen.

"Three weeks ago, people were saying that Liverpool had the title in their hands. But it is just football and everything changes in two or three matches.

"We have to focus on ourselves, try and win every game, and see where we are at the end of the season.

"We don't want to think too far ahead because that will play badly against us. We have to live in the present, that's the most important thing."

After Liverpool had to settle for a 1-1 draw at fellow high-flyers Nottingham Forest on Tuesday, last night's fixture at the Emirates felt like a win-or-bust game in the Gunners' season.

But following an electric start they fell behind thanks to Son Heung-min's deflected opener in the 25th minute.

However, Gabriel's header from Declan Rice's corner bounced in off Dominic Solanke five minutes prior to the interval, before Trossard fired the hosts ahead.

Arsenal confirmed on the eve of the derby that Gabriel Jesus is set to be out for the rest of the season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

And Raya continued: "It was really, really important to come with a big, big mentality (after last week). We know how important the derby is, not just for the league, but for the people that follow us.

"We showed very big character throughout the game, especially when we went behind. We were a little bit stunned but after that, we dominated the whole first half.

"We got the rewards with two goals before half-time. I am very happy with the performance, for the lads, and for Gabriel Jesus, too. He has a massive injury. This win is for him."

Liverpool have the chance to move seven points clear of the Gunners by winning their Saturday 3pm kick-off at Brentford.

Arsenal then play host to the 5.30pm kick-off when they take on an Aston Villa team who effectively ended their title challenge last season with a 2-0 win at the Emirates in April.

And Raya, who started his career with a loan spell at Southport from Blackburn Rovers, concluded: "We want to win every single game, no matter the opposition.

"We know how good Aston Villa are. We now just have to recover, train and be ready for Saturday because we know how tough it is going to be. But we are going to be ready to win the game and get the three points."

Rodrigo Bentancur was forced off against Liverpool on Wednesday night in worrying circumstances and an update has now been provided.

Liverpool have learned that Rodrigo Bentancur suffered a concussion during their Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday night. His manager Ange Postecoglou confirmed the news; adding the north London club will follow protocol for his return.

The Reds' latest match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium began with worrying scenes as Bentancur did not rise from the turf after attempting a flicked header inside Liverpool's penalty area. Play was halted for nine minutes as Spurs' doctors rushed to his aid until he could be stretchered off the field.

However, an update has been provided. Postecoglou was, naturally, pressed on the Uruguay international during his latest pre-match press conference.

"Mostly positive news, he obviously went to hospital after the game," said Postecoglou. "He was concussed and they did every check needed to do, and I understand he's gone home now.

"So that's real positive news for us. It was a bit of a distressing situation to deal with for everyone.

"I think the players, Pedro [Porro] did a great job initially of notifying the medical team, he did a great job. Now it's just about recovery for him. There are set protocols in place but aside from those set protocols, so we'll make sure we give him as much time as he needs to get back."

While fortunately avoiding something more serious, concussions are not taken lightly in football. The FA demand up to 48 hours out of action before a "gradual" and "managed" return to play.

That said, the concussion was not recognised during Liverpool's match on Wednesday night - and so Bentancur's exit was not recorded as a concussion substitution - which would have allowed the home team one extra change later in the match. Spurs would go on to win the first leg under controversial circumstances, with midfielder Lucas Bergvall scoring a late winner after moments earlier escaping a second booking for a foul on Kostas Tsimikas - one that meant the Reds were temporarily reduced to 10 men for the goal-scoring attack.

Liverpool players largely opted against posting on social media after the defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in their League Cup semi-final first leg, but not Virgil van Dijk

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has acknowledged that the team have work to do after being beaten by Tottenham Hotspur in the first leg of their League Cup semi-final. The Reds lost in north London courtesy of a late Lucas Bergvall goal.

Despite the teenage midfielder being fortunate to still be on the pitch by that stage of the game, Liverpool were inches from conceding minutes earlier when their former striker Dominic Solanke was narrowly offside when firing past Alisson. The team have kept just one clean sheet in their last eight domestic matches.

At the other end, they failed to score for only the second time all season. The other occasion was their only previous defeat, against Nottingham Forest.

Van Dijk was the only Reds player to post on social media after their defeat at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. "We got work to do!" the club captain posted on Instagram.

While none of them shared anything on their accounts, Alexis Mac Allister, Caoimhin Kelleher, Conor Bradley, Kostas Tsimikas and Watarau Endo liked the post. Championship loanees Lewis Koumas and Kaide Gordon, plus even ex-skipper Jordan Henderson also did.

The current wearer of the captain's armband also shared a photo of him applauding the away fans after the match on his Instagram story with the caption: "Thanks to all of you making the trip down to London!" He also added a red heart emoji to the end of that message. The Reds had an allocation of 5,800 for the away end.

During interviews after the match, Van Dijk acknowledged to the club's website: "I'm not sure we were a level or two [below our best], but obviously, at times, I think we could have done better. But that's part of football as well: you try to play your best game ever, every one of us."

Referee Stuart Attwell addressed supporters inside the stadium after Dominic Solanke's goal was disallowed against the Reds

Supporters heard from a referee inside the stadium for the first time in English football history on Wednesday night. Stuart Attwell addressed the fans to confirm Dominic Solanke's goal was disallowed in the clash between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool in the League Cup semi-final first leg.

Solanke thought he'd scored in the second half after latching onto a through ball, although on VAR review it was deemed to be offside. After confirmation of the decision, Attwell turned on his microphone and explained the ruling for all the supporters to hear at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

"After a review Dominic Solanke was in an offside position in the build-up to the goal," he said.

The moment marks the first time in English football where a referee has explained their decision over the tannoy to the supporters after a VAR review. It is an innovation that is being trialled across the two semi-finals.

The system was also in place at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night for the clash between Arsenal and Newcastle United, although it was not required as the Magpies ran out 2-0 winners.

The EFL later clarified the Solanke offside decision themselves, writing on X: "Solanke’s goal was initially awarded on-field. VAR checked and determined that he was in an offside position and recommended that the goal was disallowed."

The opening minutes of Liverpool's Carabao Cup semi-final vs Tottenham was marred by a serious injury to Rodrigo Bentancur

Liverpool's Carabao Cup semi-final first leg away to Tottenham was brought to a sudden halt after just six minutes. It was followed by a worrying nine minutes in which Spurs midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur received treatment before being stretchered off while using an oxygen mask.

Bentancur aimed to dive to meet an outswinging corner drilled in toward's Reds goalkeeeper Alisson's left post, however hit the ground and did not get up afterward. There were no Reds players around him to make a challenge, so it is difficult to tell what was the exact cause of Bentancur's accident.

What is known is that the tie came to standstill and did not restart until the 15th minute. Club doctors tended to the midfielder in the Liverpool penalty area, metres away from where the 6,000 travelling supporters are sat in the North East corner.

A stretcher was rushed on-field by stewards, and once Bentancur had been treated he was carried off the pitch and down the tunnel. While this happened he received help breathing through use of an oxygen mask.

Spurs, writing on social media platform X, said: "We can confirm Rodrigo is conscious, talking and will go to hospital for further checks."

Brennan Johnson was substituted on in his place with Sky Sports confirming that the switch took up one of Spurs' five allowed alterations, and one of their three available windows in the match to make these changes, rather than be recorded as a concussion substitution.

Spurs vs Liverpool remains 0-0 with Slot also forced to make an early swap. Jarell Quansah has also gone off after picking up an early problem, leaving Wataru Endo to enter the fray and play out of position at centre back as he he did in the quarter-finals against Southampton.

Liverpool name strong team for Tottenham with Trent Alexander-Arnold and one more key man benched

Arne Slot has named Liverpool's XI for the clash with Tottenham Hotspur in the League Cup on Tuesday

Diogo Jota makes his first Liverpool start for nearly three months as Conor Bradley steps in for Trent Alexander-Arnold against Tottenham Hotspur and Andy Robertson drops to the bench. The Reds are hosted by Spurs in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final tie and Arne Slot has made four changes to his side from the team that were held to a 2-2 draw with Manchester United on Sunday.

Alexander-Arnold and Robertson both saw their performances in the weekend's game called into question in certain sections are only reserved for the bench this evening. The likes of Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Federico Chiesa are also selected if Slot needs additional firepower in north London. Dominik Szoboszlai remains absent through illness.

Bradley steps into a back four that makes three changes as Jarell Quansah partners Virgil van Dijk and Kostas Tsimikas starts in place of Robertson at left-back. Ibrahima Konate drops to the bench after coming through his first 90 minutes since November 27 at the weekend.

Jota returned in the 2-2 draw with Fulham last month as a second-half substitute but hasn't started since going off injured in the victory against Chelsea at Anfield way back on October 20. The Portugal international leads the line with Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo on the right and left, respectively.

Slot keeps the same midfield that started Sunday's meeting with United as Curtis Jones starts further forward behind a pairing of Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch.

Liverpool: Alisson; Bradley, Quansah, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Jones, Gakpo; Jota.

Is Tottenham vs Liverpool on ITV? Carabao Cup semi-final TV details explained

The latest Liverpool news as Arne Slot's team take on Tottenham Hotspur in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final on Wednesday night

Liverpool will look to take a step closer to the first piece of silverware on offer this season as they take on Tottenham Hotspur in the first leg of the semi-final of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night. The Reds travel to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the 8pm kick-off with the return leg scheduled for just under a month later (February 6, 8pm kick-off).

While the second leg at Anfield will be shown live on free to air TV on ITV, fans hoping to watch the first leg on the same channel will be left disappointed. That’s because, as part of the broadcast deal between ITV and the EFL, only two of the four semi-final clashes will be shown on the channel.

On Tuesday night, the first leg of the other semi-final between Arsenal and Newcastle United was shown on both ITV and Sky Sports. Goals from Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon gave Newcastle a 2-0 advantage going into the second leg, which will only be shown live on Sky Sports.

In a statement released earlier this month, the EFL confirmed: "All ties will be broadcast live on Sky Sports. The first leg of Arsenal v Newcastle and the second leg of Liverpool v Tottenham Hotspur will also be broadcast on ITV1 and ITVX as part of a collaboration to give all UK football fans the chance to watch free-to-air coverage of select Carabao Cup and EFL fixtures."

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Liverpool take on Tottenham in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, so we simulated the clash to predict what could happen

Liverpool will look to return to winning ways later today when they face Tottenham in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final. A 2-2 draw at Anfield against rivals Manchester United on on Sunday saw the Reds fail to capitalise on Arsenal dropping points in the Premier League title race.

An FA Cup clash against Accrington Stanley awaits Arne Slot's side at the weekend, but for now, all focus is on the Carabao Cup, with Liverpool travelling to the capital to face Spurs this evening.

The two teams last met just over two weeks ago in the Premier League, with the Reds impressing as they won 6-3 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

So can Liverpool get off to a winning start in the Carabao Cup semi-final? Let's take a look...

We simulated Tottenham vs Liverpool to get a score prediction

To complete this simulation, we used EA FC 25 and updated the squads with the latest injuries and suspensions.

We predict that Tottenham could line up in a 4-3-3 formation, with their starting XI as follows: Austin; Porro, Dragusin, Gray, Spence; Bissouma, Bentancur, Kulusevski; Johnson, Solanke, Son.

We predict that Liverpool could set up in a 4-3-3 formation, with their line-up as follows: Kelleher; Bradley, Quansah, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Endo, Mac Allister, Elliott; Salah, Nunez, Diaz.

Liverpool were on top in the opening stages in north London, putting in a much better performance than they did in the first half against Man United. Attacking-wise, the Reds were too powerful for Spurs, with Slot's side going a goal ahead after just nine minutes.

As the hosts played out the back, a misplaced pass by Radu Dragusin fell to the feet of Mohamed Salah on the edge of the box, with the Egyptian controlling the ball fantastically before driving a pass into the middle. Luis Diaz picked up possession before quickly firing toward goal, and his shot was a good one, nestling in the far corner to put Liverpool 1-0 up.

Just four minutes later, Liverpool were gifted a chance to make it 2-0, with Nunez being brought down by Brandon Austin as he tried to go around the goalkeeper. Salah stepped up to take the spot-kick, and he curled his shot into the top left corner to double the Reds' lead early on.

Spurs couldn't deal with Liverpool's attacking threat, and just before the break, the Reds grabbed a third to give themselves a fantastic lead.

Alexis Mac Allister stole the ball off Yves Bissouma to kick-start an attack, with the Argentine launching a ball to Salah on the right. The winger surged at his man before crossing towards Nunez in the box, but he cleverly left the ball for Harvey Elliott instead who placed his shot past Austin for 3-0.

Similar to the last meeting between Liverpool and Spurs, Slot's side got a bit complacent after the restart, allowing the hosts to grab a goal just after the hour mark.

Brennan Johnson got the wrong side of Kostas Tsimikas to latch onto Dejan Kulusevski's through ball, and a smart finish saw the Welshman fire past Caoimhin Kelleher at the near post to pull a goal back.

After conceding, the Reds became much more assured at the back, seeing out the victory to give them a healthy lead going into the second leg at Anfield next month.

Latest Liverpool news ahead of Wednesday night's Carabao Cup semi-final first leg clash against Spurs at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Four Liverpool players have offered hints that they may be in line to start the Carabao Cup semi-final against Tottenham Hotspur. The Reds will travel to North London to take on Spurs in the first leg of their semi-final on Wednesday evening.

Arne Slot's side will be hoping to join Arsenal or Newcastle in the Wembley Stadium final in March with a victory against Tottenham over two legs. Liverpool will take on Tottenham in their first leg clash 24 hours after Newcastle claimed a 2-0 over the Gunners in their semi-final.

It was less than three weeks ago that Liverpool had claimed a 6-3 win over Tottenham in the Premier League. Now the Reds will return to North London looking for a similar result, this time in the Carabao Cup.

Some members of the Liverpool squad have taken to social media hours before kick-off at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. It has become a common tradition for players to post pre-match graphics when they are set to feature in their team's match later that day.

Ryan Gravenberch, Cody Gakpo, Kostas Tsimikas and Alexis Mac Allister all posted pre-match graphics on their Instagram stories on Wednesday, hours before kick-off against Spurs. It remains to be seen if all four players will be in Arne Slot's starting line-up to face Spurs, but the posts indicate they are all set to be involved.

Players sharing such graphics on their social media channels in the past have historically been involved in the matchday squad. Tsimikas' inclusion would likely mean that Andy Robertson would drop to the bench, having started the draw with Manchester United at the weekend.