With a suspended Lock in the stands, Liverpool reaches the last four of the League Cup

Liverpool has qualified for the semi-finals of the League Cup after a narrow 1-2 win over Southampton. Head coach Arne Slot watched from the stands due to a suspension, the first in his coaching career. He received his third yellow card of the season last weekend.

Arsenal and Newcastle United also qualified for the semi-finals. Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United will face each other in the last quarter-final on Thursday.

In the semi-finals, each team plays a home and away match. These matches will be played in early January and early February, after which the final will take place at Wembley in March.

Due to Slot’s suspension, the leadership was in the hands of assistant coach Sipke Hulshoff. In the south of England, the Premier League leader played with a B team. For example, Virgil van Dijk, Ryan Gravenberch and Mohamed Salah did not travel.

Dutch international Cody Gakpo did get a starting spot. The wing attacker played for more than an hour and provided an assist.

At Southampton’s St. Mary’s Stadium, Liverpool took the lead in the 24th minute through Darwin Núñez. The Uruguayan was only able to reach the goal after a deflected through ball from Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Eight minutes later, Harvey Elliott doubled the score on behalf of the visitors. The assist came from Gakpo, who cut in from the left flank, went past two defenders, combined with Wataru Endo and then delivered a tailor-made pass.

After an hour of play, striker Cameron Archer scored the tying goal on behalf of Southampton.

Arsenal have also advanced to the semi-finals. In a fascinating match, the team was too strong for Crystal Palace 3-2. At the current number three in the Premier League, striker Gabriel Jesus was crowned man of the match by scoring a hat trick.

It is a boost for the 27-year-old Brazilian, who is struggling with his form and has lost his starting place for some time. Jesus completed his hat-trick after half-time, after Crystal Palace had taken the lead through Jean-Philippe Mateta in the fourth minute of the match.

Jesus scored the equalizer in the 54th minute and put Arsenal ahead twenty minutes later. Nine minutes before the end he scored his third of the evening.

Eddie Nketiah, who comes from Arsenal’s youth academy and played more than a hundred matches for the North London club in seven seasons, scored the tying goal on behalf of Crystal Palace just before the end.