New Delhi, Sep 26 (IANS) Arsenal reached the Carabao Cup fourth round with a 5-1 win over Bolton Wanderers courtesy of a mixture of youth and experience.
Declan Rice struck us into the lead and Ethan Nwaneri got his first goal for Arsenal in the first half, before the latter welcomed choruses of “he’s one of our own” with his brace.
Aaron Collins pulled one back for the visitors, but Raheem Sterling netted his first goal for us to make it 4-1 in the second half, before Kai Havertz wrapped up the win.
The 17-year-old Nwaneri, making his first senior start for the club, slotted into an empty net from Raheem Sterling’s cross, before taking advantage of some sloppy Bolton play to pick up the ball from Declan Rice and roll under visiting goalkeeper Luke Southwood.
Nwaneri’s two goals came after he had already played a part in Arsenal’s 16th-minute opener with a fizzed cross which Scott Arfield failed to clear and Rice dispatched a calm finish into the bottom corner.
Sterling tapped home from a couple of yards in the 64th minute after Southwood spilled Bukayo Saka’s effort for his first goal in Arsenal colours on his first start since joining from London rivals Chelsea this summer.
Kai Havertz wrapped up a convincing win at Emirates Stadium after guiding home a rebound when Sterling’s shot was saved.
Aaron Collins had pulled one back for Bolton in the 53rd minute after a brilliant counter-attack. It was ultimately a consolation, but one that denied teenage Arsenal goalkeeper Jack Porter a clean sheet on his record-setting senior debut.
At 16 years and 72 days old, Porter became the youngest player to start a first-team game for the Gunners, breaking a record set by Cesc Fabregas in October 2003.
Porter was called up after first-choice David Raya was ruled out with a thigh injury and summer signing Neto was cup-tied, having already featured in the competition this season for parent club Bournemouth.
On the other hand, Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo each scored two goals as Liverpool began their defence of the Carabao Cup by coming from behind to thrash West Ham 5-1 at Anfield.
The visitors stunned the holders by taking the lead after a corner, Wataru Endo’s attempted clearance striking team-mate Jarell Quansah and rolling over the line.
West Ham’s lead lasted just four minutes as Federico Chiesa marked his first start for the Reds with an assist after the winger’s acrobatic volley into the ground bounced up for Jota to head the equaliser.
Portugal forward Jota scored his second early in the second half with a low and composed finish in front of the Kop after a lovely pass by Curtis Jones.
That goal came moments after West Ham had appeals for a penalty waved away when the ball appeared to strike the arm of Joe Gomez inside the box – with no video assistant referee (VAR) system until the semi-finals.
West Ham, who have now lost four of their seven games under boss Julen Lopetegui, responded well after their woeful 3-0 home defeat by Chelsea last weekend.
But on a frustrating night which saw Lopetegui booked for arguing with the officials as decisions went against his side, Max Kilman missed a golden chance to make 2-2 from six yards.
Soon afterwards, substitute Mohamed Salah made it 3-1 after Lukasz Fabianski had kept out Alexis Mac Allister’s attempt, before Edson Alvarez was sent off for two bookings.
Cody Gakpo added to West Ham’s misery with the fourth and fifth goals late in the tie as the Hammers exited the competition at Liverpool’s hands for the second successive season.
–IANS
bc/
