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Mikel Arteta praised Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno for returning his faith after the German’s two penalty saves ensured a 5-4 win in the shootout Liverpool who sent the gunners to the League Cup quarter finals.
Arteta’s team had already beaten Liverpool on penalties in the Community Shield earlier this season and repeated the trick in the fourth round tie.
Joe Willock scored the winning penalty after Leno saved Divock Origi and Harry Wilson.
Adrian avoided Mohamed Elneny’s third Arsenal penalty shot, but Alexandre Lacazette, Cedric Soares, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Nicolas Pepe all scored before Willock set up a round of 16 clash with Manchester City.
Asked about the match against City, where he worked as Pep Guardiola’s assistant until December, Arteta said: “I was expecting and enjoying the victory and then we have to play Manchester City.
“It is what it is. There are a lot of tough teams left in the competition.”
Arsenal, who have not lifted the League Cup since 1993, have won three of their last four meetings with Liverpool in the space of just 11 weeks.
Liverpool beat the Gunners 3-1 in the Premier League at Anfield on Monday, but Arsenal took the spoils against the league champions in July and the Community Shield in August.
Arsenal’s disciplined display was another sign that the FA Cup winners are heading in the right direction under Arteta’s astute leadership.
Leno underscored why Arteta decided to return him to the team and sell Emiliano Martínez’s backing to Aston Villa, making a series of excellent saves before emerging as the hero in the penalty shoot-out.
“Bernd Leno was really good. When we needed him, we had him. You need a superior individual performance to win at Anfield,” Arteta said.
“I really believe in Bernd. I know him very well. We didn’t want Emiliano Martínez to leave, but it was probably the right thing to do.
“Coming here and playing with determination and courage is a huge step forward for the team. They are on the right track.”
Arsenal’s victory was the rematch of last season’s League Cup loss on penalties against Liverpool, when the Gunners led 3-1 and 4-2 in a 5-5 draw.
There was less drama until the penalty shoot-out this time around, as Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp made nine changes and Arteta eight, contributing to a stop-and-go match.
“If there had been a winner in 90 minutes, it should have been us, but we are not in dream land, you have to score,” Klopp said.
“A penalty shoot-out is difficult, everyone knows it.”
‘Horrible performance’
In the other fourth round action on Thursday, Stoke claimed a surprising 1-0 win at Aston Villa, while Brentford reached the bottom eight for the first time with a surprise 3-0 win over Fulham.
Villa won his first two Premier League games this season, but boss Dean Smith made 11 changes for Stoke’s visit and his substitutes were not up to the task.
Stoke also sent a team with little force, but Michael O’Neill’s championship team won it in the 26th minute when Sam Vokes headed into Jordan Thompson’s corner.
After reaching the final last season, when they lost to Manchester City, this was a more forgettable outing for Villa.
“It’s a huge missed opportunity and I told the players so,” Smith said.
“With the pace we played at, it was a mediocre first half and a terrible performance.”
Stoke will host Tottenham in the quarterfinals.
Brentford earned revenge for their championship play-off final loss to Fulham last season when they swept struggling opponents from the Premier League.
Thomas Frank’s team scored through Marcus Forss before Said Benrahma’s double set up a round of 16 clash with Newcastle.
“We are where we are. This is a team in transition, we came fourth in the Championship last year,” said Fulham boss Scott Parker.
Everton face Manchester United in the other quarter-finals, and the matches will be played in December.
Results collected from the English League Cup on Thursday:
Fourth round
Aston Villa 0 Stoke 1 (votes 26)
Brentford 3 (Forss 37, Benrahma 62, 77) Fulham 0
Liverpool 0 Arsenal 0, Arsenal won 5-4 on penalties
Played Wednesday:
Brighton 0 Manchester United 3 (McTominay 44, Mata 73, Pogba 80)
Burnley 0 Manchester City 3 (Sterling 35, 49, Torres 65)
Everton 4 (Calvert-Lewin 11, 78, 84, Richarlison 56) West Ham 1 (Snodgrass 46)
Newport 1 (Abrahams 5) Newcastle 1 (Shelvey 87), Newcastle won 5-4 on penalties
Played on Tuesday:
Tottenham 1 (Lamela 83) Chelsea 1 (Werner 19), Tottenham won 5-4 on penalties
