Carabao Cup Roundup: Palace Stun Liverpool Again As Chelsea And Others Advance

‎Crystal Palace produced one of the standout results of the Carabao Cup this season, cruising past a youthful Liverpool side 3-0 at Anfield to book their place in the fifth round.

‎Palace Pile on the Pain for Liverpool

‎Slot opted to rest several key players ahead of Liverpool’s crucial upcoming fixtures against Aston Villa, Real Madrid, and Manchester City. The Dutchman fielded a heavily rotated side, giving opportunities to academy prospects Kieran Morrison, Rio Ngumoha, and Trey Nyoni.

‎However, the gamble spectacularly backfired. Palace, confident and clinical, took full advantage of Liverpool’s inexperience, condemning the hosts to a sixth defeat in their last seven games across all competitions.

‎Coming just days after a damaging 3-2 loss at Brentford in the Premier League, this latest setback leaves Liverpool’s title defence in tatters. They now sit seven points adrift of leaders Arsenal, with growing concerns over the team’s form and confidence.

‎Sarr and Pino Shine at Anfield

‎Palace’s attacking duo of Sarr and Pino tormented Liverpool’s reshuffled defence throughout.

‎After a period of early pressure, Joe Gomez’s miscontrol in the 41st minute gifted Sarr the chance to fire home from 12 yards. The Senegal international doubled his tally moments before half-time, slotting in from Pino’s clever assist to silence the Anfield crowd.

‎Liverpool’s evening went from bad to worse when substitute Amara Nallo was shown a red card for a professional foul on Justin Devenny in the 79th minute. Pino then completed the rout with a composed finish two minutes from time.

‎The result marked Palace’s third victory over Liverpool in just 80 days following triumphs in the Community Shield (via penalties) and the Premier League (2-1). The Eagles’ hot form under Glasner shows no signs of slowing, with the FA Cup holders now eyeing another deep cup run.

‎Slot’s Selection Gamble Backfires

‎Arne Slot’s decision to rotate heavily, leaving out stars like Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Alexander Isak, and Florian Wirtz, raised eyebrows. The move reflected his prioritization of upcoming fixtures, but it exposed Liverpool’s lack of depth and defensive fragility.

‎The Reds’ switch to a back three offered little stability, and their young midfield was easily overrun. Liverpool’s struggles in both boxes continue to define their poor run, with even Slot admitting post-match that his side lacked “focus and rhythm.”

‎Newcastle, City, Arsenal, and Chelsea Advance

‎Elsewhere in the competition, Newcastle United kept their title defence on track with a 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur at St James’ Park.

‎Fabian Schär headed in from Sandro Tonali’s corner in the 24th minute before Nick Woltemade doubled the lead from Jacob Ramsey’s cross early in the second half. The Magpies, who lifted their first major domestic trophy in nearly 70 years last season, look determined to defend it.

‎Manchester City also survived a scare, coming from behind to beat Championship side Swansea City 3-1 away. Gonçalo Franco gave the hosts a shock lead, but Jeremy Doku’s deflected effort leveled things before Omar Marmoush and Rayan Cherki completed the turnaround for Pep Guardiola’s rotated side.

‎At the Emirates, Arsenal extended their winning streak to eight in all competitions with a comfortable 2-0 win over Brighton.

‎Ethan Nwaneri fired home just before the hour mark, and Bukayo Saka sealed the victory late on.

‎The night was also historic for 15-year-old Max Dowman, who became the youngest ever Arsenal starter at 15 years and 302 days.

‎Meanwhile, Chelsea’s second-string side triumphed in a seven-goal thriller at Molineux, defeating Wolves 4-3.

‎Andrey Santos, Tyrique George, and Estevão Willian gave the Blues a commanding 3-0 lead before Wolves fought back through Toluwalase Arokodare and David Wolfe.

‎Despite Liam Delap’s red card late on, Jamie Gittens added Chelsea’s fourth before Wolfe struck again in stoppage time to narrow the margin.

‎What’s Next?

‎The fifth-round draw promises several mouth-watering clashes, with Arsenal, Manchester City, Newcastle, and Crystal Palace all still in contention. For Liverpool, though, it’s back to the drawing board.