The Premier League Cup semi-final match between Liverpool and Arsenal will be the final battle between the two sides to advance to the final, with the winner of this match against Chelsea in the final.
Arsenal due to injuries, the new crown virus and the African Cup of Nations, the FA and Arsenal against Tottenham Hotspur Premier League match postponed, but Arteta still has to face a shortage of manpower, some of the main players will return, but former captain Xhaka was suspended for a game because of a red card, will miss this fateful game, the team's defense is tested.
Liverpool's side was also uncomfortable, with at least seven first-team players missing the game. The most familiar are the three Players salah, Mane and Nabi keita, who are participating in the African Cup of Nations, and the players' Egypt, Senegal and Guinea have all advanced to the round of 16, and there will be no players returning early to participate in the Semi-Finals of the United Nations Cup at Arsenal.
In addition, Spain international Thiago, substitute center Origi and young winger Elliott who has been injured for many days are all in the injury list, hanging up the exemption card, and will not appear in the big list of this game.
However, there was also a key Liverpool player absent in this game, and although Chamberlain scored a goal in Liverpool's 3-0 Brentford match last week, he will miss the game when he sprained his ankle without confrontation in the 72nd minute of the game.
Liverpool assistant coach Pap Linds spoke about Chamberlain's injury in an interview, with Lindes saying Chamberlain is recovering well and could play liverpool against Crystal Palace this weekend but will certainly miss the second leg of the Premier League Cup semi-final against Arsenal. Liverpool manager Klopp also called Chamberlain's injury retirement a shadow of the game.
Chamberlain's attendance has been declining for two seasons, and his performance on the pitch is not satisfactory, but at this stage the injury must be something That Liverpool does not want to see, especially if it is missing important games, not to mention that Liverpool are currently short of manpower, Chamberlain can play the team's eighth, ninth and wingers, and the match with Brentford, the England midfielder was put in the right wing by Klopp.
Although Liverpool have beaten Arsenal in the Premier League for the past two seasons, Liverpool have been the weaker side in the cup.
Counting the first leg, Liverpool and Arsenal have met three times in the League Cup in the last three seasons, as well as one Community Shield tournament, with Liverpool scoring just one win. Interestingly, however, penalties were played in both of these competitions, with the two sides drawing in regular time, with Arsenal winning two of them on penalties to win the Community Shield trophy for the 2020-21 season.
Now, with players injured and absent from both sides, this game may once again follow the example of history, after all, the Arsenal 10-man battle in the first leg has been nearly 70 minutes, Liverpool still failed to break through the goal guarded by Ramsdale, and this game is not easy.