Football: Arsenal on 'right path' after Liverpool win in League Cup, says Mikel Arteta
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Arsenal's goalkeeper Bernd Leno (left) celebrates with Joe Willock (third left) after the penalty shoot-out.
PHOTO: AFP
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LONDON (REUTERS) - Arsenal squeezed past Liverpool 5-4 on penalties to advance to the League Cup quarter-finals on Thursday (Oct 1) after a goalless 90 minutes.
With the Premier League champions making several changes to the team that beat Arsenal in the league 3-1 on Monday and their opponents also rotating, it was always unlikely to be a high-class encounter.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was pleased with his side's efforts though. "We still have lots to learn but we are on the right path," the Spaniard said.
"It is the third time in about eight weeks we have played against the best team in Europe, in my opinion, and it is a step forward for my team.
"We want to treat every competition as an opportunity to win a trophy, we have to do that for the club we represent and we will do that."
Liverpool had the better chances and should have been awarded a 44th-minute penalty when Diogo Jota was brought down in the box.
The resulting free kick eventually led to Takumi Minimino finding space and smashing his close-range shot onto the crossbar.
Arsenal keeper Bernd Leno made two consecutive saves to stop Jota and Marko Grujic and the visitors responded with a chance of their own as Rob Holding's header was punched away by Adrian in the 70th minute.
The Gunners also appealed for a penalty in stoppage time when James Milner fell and handled the ball.
The referee Kevin Friend did not point to the spot and there is no VAR in the competition.
Arsenal, however, celebrated in shootout when Joe Willock's spot kick crept under keeper Adrian to send them through.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp told Sky Sports: "If there would have been a winner in 90 minutes it should have been us but we are not in dreamland, you have to score. I liked a lot of parts of the game, we mixed it up a lot and I saw a proper performance, a lot of things we like on the pitch when you wear this wonderful shirt. A penalty shoot out is tricky, everyone knows."
