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Liverpool Advances to EFL Cup Semis with Win Over Southampton

Liverpool secured their place in the EFL Cup semi-finals with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over manager-less Southampton at St Mary’s Stadium. The match, played on December 18, saw Liverpool’s fringe players step up to the challenge, despite the absence of their regular starters.

Darwin Nunez opened the scoring for Liverpool in the 24th minute, capitalizing on a long pass from Trent Alexander-Arnold to fire in his fourth goal of the season. Harvey Elliott doubled the lead just before the half-time whistle, marking his first start and first goal of the season with a cool finish following fine work by Cody Gakpo.

Southampton, led by caretaker manager Simon Rusk, found some momentum in the second half when Cameron Archer scored a fine curling shot in the 59th minute to reduce the deficit. However, despite late pressure and several chances, the Saints were unable to find the equalizer.

Liverpool’s win extends their unbeaten away run in all competitions under manager Arne Slot, who was serving a one-match touchline ban. This victory marks Liverpool’s 20th League Cup semi-final appearance and keeps them in contention for all four major trophies this season.

Key Players:
- Darwin Nunez: Scored the opening goal.
- Harvey Elliott: Scored the second goal and was named player of the match.
- Cameron Archer: Scored Southampton’s only goal.

#EFLCup,#LiverpoolFC,#SouthamptonFC,#CarabaoCup,#ArneSlot