A thriller fitting for Halloween

Oxlade-Chamberlain with the goal of the game

Anfield has seen some thrilling matches in the last few years with Klopp at the helm, but last nights league cup game against Arsenal might be up there, not as big as the Champions League run the previous 2 seasons but certainly domestically. Arsenal decided to go with the squad that played Palace on Sunday, except for Granit Xhaka after what happened on Sunday with Mesut Ozil back in the starting lineup. Meanwhile, Liverpool made 11 changes with last weeks champions league star Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain starting with Adam Lallana, Divock Origi, James Milner and Naby Keita all making a start.

The first goal came courtesy of a Shkodran Mustafi own goal just 6 minutes into the game as a cross by Chamberlain came off his knee into the bottom corner of the net, while trying to clear the ball out of the box. Then 13 minutes later Arsenal equalised courtesy of Lucas Torreira off a deflected save. However, it looked like Torreira might have been caught offside, but there was no VAR. Then 7 minutes later Gabriel Martinelli gave Arsenal the lead after a deflected cross by Maitland-Niles was saved and Martinelli thrashed the ball into the top of the net. 

James Milner scoring his first penalty

Then with 10 minutes until half-time Liverpool's youngest player Harvey Elliot made a mistake and passed the ball to Mesut Ozil, who then turns it around the corner to Saka and then delivered the ball to Martinelli who smashed the ball in to make it 3-1 Arsenal. Then on the stroke of half-time Liverpool were given a penalty after Elliot went down and Milner fired the shot into the bottom corner. Martinelli had a chance at half-time to get his hat-trick, but the ball sailed over his head.

At half-time, the talk was off Liverpool's youngsters looking a little out of place especially Elliot after the error he made in the 3rd Arsenal goal. Then the reports were coming in of the other matches as Manchester United were beating Chelsea and Villa were battling against Wolves. This was because of the staggered kickoffs.

Willock with the winner

Then within 10 minutes into the second half, it was the experienced Milner who made an error as his backpass was short and, Maitland Niles tried getting the ball round the keeper but was going out of play until Ozil kept it in. Then, Maitland Niles put the ball in the net to make it 4-2 Arsenal. Then on the hour mark, the former Arsenal man Oxlade-Chamberlain hit a 22-yard strike to make it 4-3 Arsenal with half an hour to go. It was already looking like an instant classic in the league cup which rarely happens in the competition.

Origi repeating his Champions League heroics

Then 5 minutes later the game was level again courtesy of Divock Origi. There was a feeling of how many goals are going to be scored between now and full time. Then with 20 minutes to go Arsenal thought they had got the winner and broke Liverpool heats when Joe Willock hit a curler into the top corner. That was the thought as injury time loomed, but Liverpool fans were confident as it was announced that there would be 5 minutes of stoppage time. Then in the 4th-minute of stoppage time, Origi hit the equaliser off a volley. Then the full-time whistle blew, and it would be decided on the lottery of penalties.


Arsenal won the toss to go first; however, they were taking the penalties at the Kop end. Arsenals captain Hector Bellerin took the first penalty and hit it in the top left corner. The next penalty was Milner who scored earlier in the came and hit the ball straight down the middle. Then Matteo Guendouzi hit the inside of the post after looking like it was wide of the goal but went in the net. Then Adam Lallana hit the top left corner to make it 2-2. Martinelli got his personal hat-trick, and then Brewster pumped the ball bottom left. Then came a crucial moment as Dani Cabellos' attempt was saved by the Liverpool keeper. Then Origi got his own unofficial hat-trick to make it matchpoint Liverpool. Then Maitland Niles hit the top left corner to make the final penalty a nerve-wracking one.

Klopp celebrating with Curtis Jones

The final penalty was taken by Curtis Jones. At the end of the game, Divock Origi said that the team were looking to "go for every cup". This was seen by the press, as a change of policy on cup competitions compared to previous seasons. He even said the best goal of the night was Chamberlain's thunderbolt. Liverpool's keeper Caoimhin Kelleher said that he had been "working hard with the keeper coach on saving penalties."

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