Liverpool welcome Arsenal to Anfield for tonight's 4th round League Cup clash.
With a couple of poor results behind them, Arsenal have selected a strong 18 man matchday squad for this game. They have left out captain Granit Xhaka and brought back in Mesut Ozil.
Meanwhile the reds have utlised their strength and depth in midfield but have elected for youth in most of the other positions and have a host of squad and academy starts named on the substitutes bench.
This is the 15th meeting in the League Cup between Liverpool and Arsenal - making it the most played fixture in the tournaments history.
Arsenal arguably have more to lose to avoid the increasing pressure on Unai Emery but the young reds will want to maintain their place in this season competition.
As it happened...
Although, perhaps understandably given their recent results, it's a slightly stronger looking 18 man squad from Arsenal.
Especially the substitutes bench.
Liverpool give a debut for Neco Williams and it's a first Liverpool starting line up appearance for Sepp van den Berg.
LIVERPOOL: Kelleher, Williams, Gomez, Van den Berg, Milner, Lallana, Keita, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Elliott, Origi, Brewster.
Subs: Adrian, Jones, Kane, Larouci, Chirivella, Clarkson, Koumetio.
And our opponents...
ARSENAL: Martinez, Bellerin, Holding, Mustafi, Kolasinac, Torreira, Willock, Maitland-Niles, Ozil, Saka, Martinelli.
Subs: Macey, Sokratis, Tierney, Guendouzi, Ceballos, Pepe, Lacazette
Unai Emery has this to say.
"We are expecting to play a good match. We expect a lot out of the cup competition. We have won it two times and played in finals. Every player wants to play to win."
And on selecting Mesut Ozil....
He can help us. Tonight is important for him. He knows his teammates and who we are playing. He is going to play in his best position also. We want to share different qualities in this shape and to use everyone. His skill and his quality. He can be good physically."
The Liverpool boss discusses the relative inexperience and youth in today's Liverpool squad.
"I am very excited about it. I know how difficult it is but we decided long ago we had to do it this way. The squad is made for it. We have to show our faith.
"It is against Arsenal. It is a tough one but it's what we prepare them for. Let's give it a try. Sepp van den Berg - people probably know about him. Really talented centre-half. First big match here in England.
"Neco Williams is Welsh but is homegrown here - since he was seven, I think. I am really pleased for him. He has looked so good in the last few days at training."
The teams are out on the pitch.
James Milner with the captain's armband tonight.
We're underway. Harvey Elliott is officially the youngest LFC first team player to play at Anfield.
2' Early touches for both van den Berg and Joe Gomez. Calm pass back to the keeper from VDB and Gomez prevents an attack with a sliding challenge.
6' The reds are in the lead!
Oxlade Chamberlain slides across a ball and under pressure from Rhian Brewster, Mustafi turns it into his own net.
Great start for the reds.
11' A lovely lifted ball into the penalty area and Oxlade-Chamberlain can't believe his luck.
But the bounce is high and the Arsenal keeper, Martinez, is out to smother the threat.
19' Torreira with the goal. He had an initial chance there which he fluffed.
And then a shot from the edge of the area was stopped but not saved by Kelleher, this time Torreira got to the rebound and fired in the equaliser.
Replays looked to me like he was offside - but there is no VAR here today.
24' Rhian Brewster collects a yellow card.
26' Arsenal take a 2-1 lead through Martinelli.
Drilled pass from the right edge of the area and Kelleher again stops but doesn't save. That spills out and Liverpool can't deal with it.
Martinelli fires the ball high into the net.
36' Looking ominous now. It's a horrible ball back from Harvey Elliot across into Gomez and he can't reach that.
It's intercepted and Martinelli has a one on one with the keeper.
42' Keita with the shot, Bellerin handballs it in the area. No VAR so the ref doesn't see it.
But then Harvey Elliott is fouled in the area and the referee does see that Martinelli foul.
It's a penalty.
43' Milner steps up for the penalty and Milner scores the penalty.
You know how that works.
A goal back for the reds. 2-3 as we approach half time.
44' Lallana goes into the book. Arsenal have a free kick just at the edge of the box.
Ozil sizing it up.
But Torreira takes it and puts it into the Kop.
45' Harvey Elliott with the cross and a great header by Divock Origi - just over the crossbar!
Bad start from Arsenal but then they got lucky with the absence of VAR for their equaliser.
Poor defending from Liverpool put Arsenal 3-1 up but then James Milner slotted in a penalty after a foul on Harvey Elliott.
Arsenal ahead and with plenty of strength on the bench, but the young reds do kick towards the Kop in the second half.
HT: Liverpool 2-3 Arsenal
We're back on it. Reds need at least a goal to progress further into this competition.
48' Early corner for Arsenal after Saka's shot is deflected by Neco Williams.
Curtis Jones, who had a good game in the 3rd round, getting ready to come on.
54' Oh dear. It's a mistake by of all people, James Milner.
Backpass is poor and Maitland-Niles and Ozil combine to place it into the net.
55' Curtis Jones comes on for his Anfield debut. He replaces Naby Keita.
Liverpool losing 4-2 here.
58' Ball falls to Oxlade-Chamberlain and BOOOMMMM
He smashes that into the top of the net. He doesn't celebrate but the Kop does.
62' DIVOCK ORIGI!!!!!!
It's 4-4. Curtis Jones fires in a pass and it's a good turn and a quick powerful shot from the Belgian.
Liverpool have clawed their way back into this.
65' Mesut Ozil heads off and on comes Matteo Guendouzi.
67' Martinelli should have done better there. Had a chance from 6 yards out that he skied.
70' Neco Williams with a shot from the edge of the area but there isn't enough power on that to trouble the keeper.
70' Joe Willock collects the ball at the half way line - drives forward to 20 yards out and it's a powerful hit and Kelleher picks the ball out of his net for the fifth time.
5-4 to Arsenal.
72' Torreira replaced by... Dani Ceballos.
81' Last throw of the dice for the reds. Chirivella replaces Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Ten minutes for the reds to get an equaliser.
Five minutes of it ahead.
90+4' DIVOCK ORIGI AGAIN
Great cross by Neco Williams and Divock Origi with a brilliant volley to make it 5-5.
It's going straight to penalties. Good effort by the reds.
Taken in front of the Kop, Arsenal to go first.
Hector Bellerin... scores.
High into the net.
1-0.
James Milner... scores.
1-1.
GOAL
Guendouzi makes it 2-1.
Lallana fires in his penalty.
2-2.
Martinelli... scores. 3-2. He's lashed that in.
Up steps Rhian Brewster.
He scores.
3-3.
Ceballos... SAVED BY KELLEHER
ORIGI SCORES 3-4
Maitland Niles scores. 4-4.
Here comes Curtis Jones...
HE SCORES!
What a League Cup 4th round game!
Unbelievable stuff. Well done to the youngsters.
8 - Liverpool have won eight penalty shootouts in the League Cup - more than any other team in the competition's history. Nerve. pic.twitter.com/aZmsS3d81b
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) October 30, 2019
That's going to be made tomorrow morning just before 9am.
Jurgen Klopp's going to be pleased tonight. It wasn't looking good at 3-1 and 4-2 down but the kids, helped by Divock Origi, pulled themselves right back into that game.
Fourth minute of injury time was a lovely added touch, reds!
Pleased for Curtis Jones to fire in the winning penalty too.
Onwards redmen!
