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Confirmed line-ups: Liverpool vs Arsenal – Xhaka starts but trio ruled out

By on January 13, 2022

Arsenal are at Anfield to take on Liverpool in the first leg of our Carabao Cup semi-final tie.

Mikel Arteta has been dealt a major triple blow with Emile Smith Rowe, Martin Odegaard and Takehiro Tomiyasu all ruled out of the trip to Merseyside. Unfortunately Odegaard has covid so he won’t be available for the NLD on Sunday either. With so few attacking options, Alexandre Lacazette will start in the No.10 role this evening with Eddie Nketiah leading the line up front.

Aaron Ramsdale starts in goal for Arsenal so Bernd Leno has to make do with a place on the bench while Cedric Soares keeps his place at right-back with Tomi out. Gabriel returns from covid to start in defence alongside Ben White while Kieran Tierney comes in for Nuno Tavares at left-back.

Granit Xhaka is back in the squad after recovering from covid and he starts in midfield alongside Albert Sambi Lokonga. Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli start in the Arsenal attack with the bench full of youngsters.

As for Liverpool, it’s no surprise to see Jurgen Klopp has gone full strength after they played the system to get the original first leg postponed last week due to ‘suspected covid cases’ – which turned out to be ‘false positives’.

These are the line-ups:

Arsenal

Ramsdale, Cedric, White, Gabriel, Tierney; Sambi Lokonga, Xhaka; Saka, Lacazette, Martinelli; Nketiah.

Subs: Leno, Holding, Mari, Chambers, Tavares, Patino, Salah-Eddine, Hutchinson, Biereth.

Liverpool

Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Henderson, Milner; Jota, Firmino, Minamino.

Subs: Kelleher, Konate, Gomez, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jones, Tsimikas, Gordon, Morton, Williams.