The Carabao Cup semi-final pairings have been decided, with four Premier League clubs still in the running to lift the trophy at Wembley early next year. Arsenal became the last team to qualify for the last four by defeating Crystal Palace on penalties on Tuesday, a week after drawing in the quarter-finals.
Chelsea survived a powerful comeback from League One side Cardiff City on Tuesday night to book their place in the semi-finals. The Club World Cup winners initially took the lead in Cardiff, but the in-form Bluebirds equalized. However, the home fans’ dreams of a historic victory were dashed when Pedro Neto scored the winning goal. Enzo Maresca’s Blues are currently two stages away from winning their third silver medal within a year.
Manchester City, who have won the competition six times since the 2013/14 season, booked a place in the semi-finals with a 2-0 win over Brentford at the Etihad on Wednesday. Josep Guardiola will be aiming for his fifth title in this competition, but before he can make another trip to Wembley, he must first get past current holders Newcastle on two legs.
Newcastle ended a long trophy drought by defeating Liverpool in an unforgettable final in the Carabao Cup last season. Eddie Howe’s side ousted Fulham with a last-minute win and could cut their next waiting period to just a year.
Arsenal and Crystal Palace were drawn in the selection process, overseen by Jamie Redknapp and Shay Given. The match was originally scheduled for last week, but Palace’s commitments in the Conference League meant it had to be postponed.
Arsenal defeated Palace on penalties thanks to an own goal from Maxence Lacroix, and a late equalizer from Marc Guehi meant the game went to spot kicks.
A two-leg format has also been introduced for the semi-final stage, with the first leg kicking off in the week commencing 12 January, followed by the second leg three weeks later on 2 February.
All eyes will then turn to Wembley for the final on March 22nd, when one of the teams will have the honor of winning the first silver medal of the season.
Here are the full Carabao Cup semi-final brackets:
Chelsea vs Arsenal
Newcastle vs Manchester City
