Darwin Nunez Shines As Liverpool Secure Carabao Cup Semi-Final Spot.
Liverpool advanced to the Carabao Cup semi-finals with a 2-1 victory over Southampton, thanks to Darwin Nunez’s opener and Harvey Elliott’s composed finish in the first half.
The Uruguayan striker ended a six-game goal drought in style, capitalising on a fortunate deflection and an error by goalkeeper Alex McCarthy to put the Reds ahead after 24 minutes. Harvey Elliott, making his first start of the season, doubled Liverpool’s lead just eight minutes later with a well-placed shot into the bottom corner, deflecting off a Southampton defender.
Southampton, under interim manager Simon Rusk following Russell Martin’s dismissal, started brightly but struggled to maintain their momentum. Trent Alexander-Arnold’s creativity proved pivotal as he escaped pressure to deliver the pass that set Nunez on his way, albeit with a deflection off Jan Bednarek.
The visitors made several changes at half-time, including introducing Konstantinos Tsimikas and Federico Chiesa for Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez, which seemed to disrupt Liverpool’s rhythm. Southampton capitalised when Cameron Archer surged from midfield and fired a stunning strike past Caoimhin Kelleher to halve the deficit just before the hour mark.
Southampton rallied, buoyed by Archer’s brilliance, and pushed for an equaliser. Taylor Harwood-Bellis made a crucial clearance to deny Federico Chiesa, while Liverpool’s defence held firm against the hosts’ late attacks. A contentious moment in injury time saw Southampton appeal for a free-kick after Mateus Fernandes appeared to be pulled back by Jarell Quansah, but referee Simon Hooper waved play on.
Liverpool now join Arsenal and Newcastle in the semi-finals, with the final spot to be decided in Thursday’s clash between Tottenham and Manchester United.
This victory keeps Liverpool’s hopes alive for silverware this season as they continue to balance domestic and cup competitions under manager Arne Slot’s guidance.
