Carabao Cup
Slot defends youthful Liverpool XI after 3-0 Anfield defeat
Slot defended a youthful Liverpool XI after a 3-0 Anfield loss, citing rotation, injuries and depth.
Crystal Palace produced a clear 3-0 win at Anfield as Ismaïla Sarr scored twice and left Liverpool facing questions over a remarkably inexperienced starting XI.
Manager Arne Slot faced pointed scrutiny after leaving senior figures such as Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konaté and Mohamed Salah out of the matchday squad. The nine substitutes between them had just 19 first-team appearances, and none were older than 21.
In a series of postmatch explanations Slot compared his selection to other Premier League sides. “I saw City’s lineup and I don’t think they had one starter from the weekend,” Slot mistakenly moaned, “but it felt as if you look at their lineup they played with their 11 starters. So maybe it also gives a little bit of insight—everybody has always said how big of a squad we have.” He pointed to Manchester City bringing proven senior players off the bench in their cup game, citing John Stones, Joško Gvardiol and Phil Foden being used against Swansea City.
He also referenced Chelsea as an example of available depth. “When we played Chelsea, I said, ‘They’re missing eight but they can still bring Estêvão in.’ We are only missing four players at the moment and already we needed to start with four players under the age of 19. And after I made two substitutions we were on six [under-19s].”
Slot stressed the demands on a squad still adapting. “I saw some of the struggles that the players have had in preseason and players that came from different leagues,” the Dutch boss sighed. “It is a new challenge for them to play at Premier League and Champions League level, three games in seven days.”
He defended using academy options in the Carabao Cup. “To add to that, this club has always used this competition for their academy players as well,” Slot added in a desperate attempt to save face. “So for the non-starters and the academy players, this felt to me like the right decision.”
On injuries he warned of risks to player fitness: “Last time I played a player that wasn’t fully prepared—we thought he was prepared but it was the first time—[Alexander] Isak, he got injured. Last time we played Southampton [Giovanni] Leoni was injured and it was a red card for Hugo Ekitiké. Those are the things we can’t use with a big week coming up,” he told Sky Sports.
He finished by highlighting squad limitations. “People all of a sudden think we have 25 players available. But we mainly have 20 players then we have four injuries. I only have one right fullback, Conor Bradley, as an example. Every time I had to play him twice in three days or three times in seven days [last season] I had to take him off with a hamstring injury or something else.
“Are you willing to take that risk with such a big week coming up?”
Arsenal
How Arsenal and Man City’s Next Five Premier League Matches Stack Up After the Derby
Arsenal restored a five-point lead after the derby; next five fixtures for both sides compared Wembley
Mikel Arteta insisted Arsenal would prove their credentials after dropping points in back-to-back Premier League games. The Gunners did exactly that at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, mirroring their 4–1 win from November and restoring a more comfortable margin at the top.
Arsenal sit on 61 points with Manchester City on 55. City will have the opportunity to reduce that gap when their rearranged match with Crystal Palace is played. The title contenders remain locked in a long duel that looks likely to run into late May.
Here are the next five league fixtures for each club.
Arsenal (61 points)
– Chelsea (H) – March 1
– Brighton (A) – March 4
– Everton (H) – March 15
– Bournemouth (H) – April 11
– Man City (A) – April 18
Man City (55 points)
– Leeds (A) – Feb. 28
– Nott’m Forest (H) – March 4
– West Ham (A) – March 14
– Chelsea (A) – April 11
– Arsenal (H) – April 18
The two sides also meet in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley on March 22 before the Premier League leaders head to the Etihad Stadium on April 18. While history suggests that head-to-head duels between the league’s top two don’t tend to decide the direction of the title, that April contest will be influential in shaping the summit.
Arsenal cannot assume an untroubled run. Champions League hopefuls Chelsea remain a challenge despite dropping points in consecutive matches. Brighton ended their slump away at Brentford on Saturday. Everton could make a push for Europe, and have been far better away from home this season, so the Toffees’ trip to north London represents a potential banana skin for the Gunners.
Arsenal then have almost a month’s break from the top flight before Bournemouth visit the Emirates Stadium on April 11.
Arsenal
Rice Issues Stark Reminder as Arsenal’s Four-Front Bid Hangs in the Balance
Rice warned Arsenal that recent poor results could undo a season where cups and title still possible
Declan Rice issued a blunt assessment of Arsenal’s position ahead of the north London derby against Tottenham Hotspur, warning that recent poor results could erode the club’s strong standing across four competitions. The midfielder spoke to Sky Sports and addressed the mounting narratives around the team.
Rice dismissed the “outside noise” and the idea of ‘bottling’ but was clear about the consequences of continued inconsistent results. He said the squad “fully believe” in one another and stressed the need to maintain focus. “And we enjoy it every day,” he added. “Of course you do. This is our job—we’re playing for Arsenal, we’re in the final of the [Carabao] Cup, in the next round of the FA Cup, in the [last 16 of the] Champions League, first in the Premier League.
“We need some perspective about where we are, but also we need to look a bit bigger to understand that if we carry on doing what we’re doing in terms of the results, it isn’t going to last.”
Rice underlined Arsenal’s capability to win across competitions, pointing to their earlier domestic and European form, but insisted the players must “pick that up” quickly. “We’ve got to be switched on. You’re going to be ready for everything that’s thrown at you because that’s what is needed for these final games,” he said.
Arsenal still lead the Premier League with Manchester City close behind, leaving the prospect that the Gunners could be overtaken and finish second. In cup competitions Arsenal face decisive fixtures: the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City at Wembley on March 22, a Champions League two-legged tie against one of Borussia Dortmund, Atalanta, Bayer Leverkusen or Olympiacos shortly before then, and an FA Cup fifth-round match against League One’s Mansfield Town on March 7.
The season’s extremes are straightforward: Arsenal could win multiple major trophies for the first time in English football history, or they could finish 2025/26 without silverware and extend their major-trophy drought into a seventh year. For now the title challenge remains in their own hands, but results must improve if that position is to hold.
Arsenal
Why Arsenal’s Wednesday Trip to Wolves Is the Premier League’s Lone Midweek Match
Arsenal’s trip to Wolves is Wednesday only midweek tie after a Carabao Cup final rearrangement soon.
The Premier League schedule places Arsenal alone on Wednesday night as they travel to bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers. That clash is the only midweek top-flight fixture, a consequence of Arsenal reaching the Carabao Cup final earlier this month.
After escaping Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium with what could prove to be a valuable point last week, Arsenal lead the Cityzens by just four points with 12 games to go. A win at Molineux would allow Mikel Arteta’s side to open up a seven-point cushion at the top before the next round of league fixtures, with Manchester City hosting Newcastle United while the leaders face off against suffering local rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
Arsenal’s trip to Molineux had to be rescheduled after Arteta’s side reached the Carabao Cup final by virtue of a 4–2 aggregate victory over Chelsea earlier this month. The Gunners will take on Manchester City at Wembley on Sunday, Mar. 22, and Wolves were due to host the title favourites that weekend. The Wolves fixture was therefore moved forward to Wednesday night, given that both teams have no other commitments that week.
Many are projecting a comfortable away win against one of the Premier League’s worst-ever teams, but Wolves ran Arsenal close in the reverse fixture before Christmas. They were a Yerson Mosquera own goal in stoppage time away from snatching an unlikely point at the Emirates Stadium.
Manchester City will also need to have their league game against Crystal Palace rescheduled because of the Carabao Cup final, but that fixture will likely be played closer to the end of the season as a result of European commitments. For now, Arsenal’s solitary midweek outing offers a clear path to extend their lead, while the rearranged timing reflects the knock-on effects of cup progress on an already congested calendar.
