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      Arsenal want emergency loan transfer after suffering more Covid cases with Smith Rowe and Tomiyasu doubts for Liverpool

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      ARSENAL are looking to make some emergency loan signings after being hit by more Covid cases ahead of their Carabao Cup semi-final against Liverpool.Emile Smith Rowe and Takehiro Tomiyasu are also injury doubts leaving Mikel Arteta’s squad looking worryingly thin.
      Emile Smith Rowe has a tight groin which could keep him out of Arsenal’s Carabao Cup semi-final with LiverpoolCredit: Rex
      Takehiro Tomiyasu also has a calf problem which has given Mikel Arteta a selection headacheCredit: Getty
      The decision to allow Ainsley Maitland-Niles to join Roma on loan has already backfired after Granit Xhaka tested positive for Covid at the weekend.
      That means Albert Sambi-Lokonga and 18-year-old rookie Charlie Patino will be the only central midfield players available for Thursday’s trip to Anfield.
      Manager Arteta is already sweating on Xhaka recovering from his second bout of the virus in time for Sunday’s crucial North London derby away to Spurs.
      Xhaka, who refused to be vaccinated before he tested positive while on international duty with Switzerland last September, is currently in isolation along with striker Folarin Balogun.
      And even though he is due out of quarantine before the weeknd, he will have missed a whole week’s training in the build-up to the game against sixth-placed Spurs.
      But with Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny both away at the African Cup of Nations, Arteta is desperately hoping to strengthen his squad with an emergency loan signing.
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      Granit Xhaka has tested positive for Covid ahead of the gameCredit: Getty
      And so has Folarin BalogunCredit: Rex
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      He knows it is crucial for his team to hold their nerve following back to back defeats by Manchester City in the Premier League and Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup.
      But with the Spurs game sandwiched between the two legs of the Carabao Cup semi-final, the next ten days could have a huge bearing on Arsenal’s ambitions to win a trophy and secure a top four finish.
      Arteta was deeply unimpressed by his players’ efforts during Sunday’s shock FA Cup exit against Forest.
      No-one struggled more than teenagee rookie Patino, who was substituted 20 minutes from the end of his first start for the club.
      Now Arteta wants to protect the promising youngster from unrealistic expectations at such a crucial state of his career.
      And he will be reluctant to include Patino in the starting line-up at Anfield on Thursday with so much at stake for the club.
      NEW ODEGAARD ROLE?
      That could mean Martin Odegaard dropping into a deeper role or a defender such as Ben White or Calum Chambers moving into midfield.
      But neither solution would be perfect, causing even greater consternation over the timing of Maitland-Niles’ departure to Roma.
      Arteta had been extremely reluctant to allow the England international to leave until the end of the month because of concerns over a lack of cover.
      But both Maitland-Niles and Roma boss Jose Mourinho made it clear that they were not prepared to wait and now Arteta’s worst fears have been realised.
      To add insult to injury, central midfielders Matteo Guendouzi and Lucas Torreira have also been loaned out by Arsenal and will need to be sold to fund any potential new signings.
      Arteta spoke of his midfield issues last week and claimed: “We are going to move and look for options because we are very short there.”
      But he seemed less optimistic after Sunday’s FA Cup setback, admitting: “I think it’s clear where we need to strengthen but at the moment we have to try to get the best out of the players we have.”
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      Leyton Orient’s Vigouroux slams decision to postpone Arsenal vs Liverpool when they were given loss after Covid outbreak

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      LEYTON ORIENT goalkeeper Lawrence Vigouroux has blasted the decision for Liverpool’s Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against Arsenal to be postponed due to a Covid-19 outbreak at the Anfield club. Liverpool’s trip to Arsenal has been rescheduled, whereas Leyton Orient were forced to forfeit their place in the tournament last season.
      Leyton Orient goalkeeper Vigouroux has slammed the decision for Liverpool’s trip to Arsenal to be postponedCredit: Rex
      League Two side Leyton Orient were forced to forfeit their place in the competition last season after returning a number of positive Covid-19 casesCredit: Twitter @LawrenceV93
      The League Two club were scheduled to take on Tottenham in round three of the Carabao Cup in September 2020, but after returning a number of positive Covid-19 cases Spurs were handed a bye into the next round.
      Leyton Orient lost out on as much as £100,00 after losing their place in the tournament, as the game was originally due to be televised.
      And Vigouroux, 28, who spent time at Liverpool as a player, has slammed the decision for the Reds’ trip to Arsenal being rescheduled, not forfeited.
      Reacting to the announcement on Twitter, Vigouroux wrote: “Interesting when we were in the same position before a Carabao Cup tie against Spurs last season?”
      Vigouroux took plenty of stick from Liverpool fans following his tweet, but the shot-stopper was quick to fire back with hilarious responses to angry supporters.
      One Liverpool fan cheekily replied to Vigouroux that the Spurs’ forfeit: “Saved you getting stuffed though.”
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      But the keeper savaged the response by writing back: “It probably did mate but it lost the club, tv money etc which for a club at this level is important…
      “I see you’re from the Cotswolds mate maybe try supporting your local club and helping them out.”
      Another Liverpool fan mocked Vigouroux for conceding a goal scored by former Red Jay Spearing in a 1-0 League Two defeat to Tranmere in December.
      But the London-born pro had a reply for that too, saying: “Was a good goal that, you’d be interested to know we were missing 8-10 players for that game through COVID/Injury, Tranmere full strength and the game still went ahead.
      “No excuses here tho unlike your mob.”
      Liverpool had been due to travel to North London this evening for the semi-final first leg against Arsenal.
      But after up to FOURTEEN positive Covid cases were recorded at the club, a request was lodged to the EFL for the game to be postponed.
      That request was granted, and the game at the Emirates will now take place on January 20, with the other leg still set to go ahead at Anfield on the 13th.
      The winners of that tie will play either Chelsea or Tottenham in the final at Wembley, after the first leg London derby clash went ahead as planned last night.
      Chelsea emerged 2-0 winners at Stamford Bridge, with the second leg scheduled for next Wednesday.
      That means one finalist will be decided even before the first leg of Liverpool vs Arsenal.
      Liverpool will now travel to Arsenal on January 20, two weeks after originally scheduledCredit: AFP More

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      Chelsea vs Tottenham LIVE REACTION: Davies own goal howler puts Blues in control in EFL Carabao Cup – latest updates

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      CHELSEA are firmly in control of their Carabao Cup semi-final against Tottenham after winning the first leg 2-0.The Blues – with Romelu Lukaku back in the starting XI – took an early lead after Kai Havertz’s strike was deflected in off Davinson Sanchez.
      And it got even worse for returning boss Antonio Conte in the 34th minute, after a mix-up involving Japhet Tanganga and Ben Davies saw the Welshman knock it in for an own goal to double Chelsea’s lead.
      Meanwhile, the other Carabao Cup semi-final which was due to take place tomorrow night – between Arsenal and Liverpool – has been postponed after Liverpool requested the tie be postponed because of a Covid outbreak at the club.

      Kick-off time: 7.45pm
      TV/ live stream: Sky Sports Main Event/ Football
      Chelsea XI: Kepa; Azpilicueta, Sarr, Rudiger, Alonso; Jorginho, Mount, Saul; Havertz, Ziyech, Lukaku
      Spurs XI: Lloris; Emerson, Tanganga, Sanchez, Davies, Doherty; Hojbjerg, Skipp, Moura; Son, Kane
      Kante and Thiago Silva OUT after positive Covid tests

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      Follow ALL of the latest updates below….
      Hard truths
      Conte adds: “It is not simple to say we go to the transfer market, it wil not be easy in January. We need to be focused and work and continue to improve.
      “I am always honest with my players and today their team was much better than ours so we have to clap.
      “I like to tell the truth, lies don’t get you anywhere.
      “They were much better than us but we have to change the situation slowly slowly, it cannot be done in one or two transfer markets.
      “I say again; we need time and patience.”
      Where to start?
      “In this moment there is an important gap and we need to fight to stay in a good position in the league.
      “But if we think we are close then we are not in the right way.
      “It is not a problem for the transfer market or new players, there are a lot of jobs to do.
      “It is hard to know which part you have to improve first, there is lots to do, we need time and patience.”
      No comparison
      Conte says: “It was a difficult game from the start. I think Chelsea showed to be much better than us. In the first half we struggled a lot.
      “We know we are talking about one of the best teams in the world in Chelsea, they won the Champions League and you cannot compare our two teams.
      “Today we have seen the difference between the two teams.”
      Honest Harry
      Striker Kane confirms his side was not at the races in the opening 45 minutes.
      But he believes they can turn it around in the second leg at home
      The England hero tweeted: “Paid the price for a poor first half.
      “But the tie isn’t over yet.
      “Great noise from the away end.”
      Luk no further
      Thomas Tuchel was happy with his star striker after his bizarre interview last week.
      He said: “(Lukaku was) Good, I’m absolutely happy.
      “I was pretty sure he was not affected by it.
      “He has seemed relaxed and fine with the situation and moved on mentally.
      “Romelu can handle pressure and adversity and it was a good performance where he contributed a lot.”
      Missed chances
      Tuchel said: “It seems like a deserved win, it reflects the game.
      “We could have scored even more but it is not easy.
      “We did create a lot, some huge changces, we should have scored more and that is the downside.
      “But we know we have to work for 90 minutes in the second game.”
      Cole hard facts
      “Sky pundit Ashley Cole was not impressed with Spurs’ defending, especially for the second goal.
      “(Tanganga) Chesting it down and clearing it with his left foot would not have been worse than what he did.
      “You need to show bravery and composure on the ball.
      “But I felt there were many times Tottenham did not show that and I think that cost them.”
      MOTM
      Ziyech adds: “We forgot to finish the game off.
      “We had a lot of chances but we have another game to get the job done.”
      Sky decide not to ask the midfielder if Lukaku has apologised to his team-mates.”
      MOTM
      Ziyech says: “I think it was a good performance from the team, a strong first half and the second went a bit up and down.
      “But we got the job done.
      “We put pressure on them and did not give them space and time, in the first half especially.
      “In the second we could have killed the game but didn’t.”
      Chelsea 2 Spurs 0
      94. Lukaku sums up his evening with another missed chance.
      Werner does something vaguely impressive with a little dinked pass into the Inter-loving striker but his shot is right at Lloris.
      Chelsea have been wasteful and Spurs, most of the time, were a waste of time.
      All over here. Explain that one please Antonio.
      Chelsea 2 Spurs 0
      90. Azpilicueta limps off with a hammy problem, replaced with teenage forward Harvey Vale.
      Rudiger does his best to gift Spurs a late chance with some terrible dribbling but the Tottenham attack is too blunt to punish his errors.
      ‘Oles’ echo around Stamford Bridge every time Chelsea complete a pass.
      It’s been a very satisfying night for fans of the West London side over their bitter rivals.
      Chelsea 2 Spurs 0
      86. Marcos Alonso should have done more with a well placed free-kick but he cracks it into the wall.
      Azpilicueta is struggling with his hamstring but Spurs have the ball and are mounting an attack.
      The Blues clear but Tottenham get the ball back and build another chance that needs to be punched away by Kepa.
      Chelsea race up the other end where Lukaku creates an opportunity but Sanchez covers the danger.
      Chelsea 2 Spurs 0
      84. This one is fizzling out.
      Chelsea made a ferocious start and then chilled out once two goals ahead.
      Spurs enjoyed a brief spike after a half-time rollocking from Conte.
      But the visitors never really showed the skill or desire to score two away from home against the European champions.
      Lukaku has not repaid disgruntled Chelsea fans with anything of substance yet.
      Chelsea 2 Spurs 0
      80. Another change for the Blues as Ziyech is hooked for Christian Pulisic.
      Spurs swap Moura or Gil and Son for Lo Celso.
      Hardly inspiring subs so Conte seems to be just preserving his first-teamers for the final few minutes.
      Tanganga heads over a good chance when he gets ahead of Rudiger at a free-kick.
      Chelsea 2 Spurs 0
      77. Ziyech blows another fine chance miles over the bar after Tottenham decide against marking him – or even recognising his existence.
      A deep cross from the left finds the former Ajax man with loads of space and he takes the chance first time on the volley.
      But his strike rockets off the edge of his foot and into the stand.
      Tottenham are lucky this has not turned into a rout.
      Chelsea 2 Spurs 0
      71. Chelsea make a double substitution.
      Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Mateo Kovacic enter to replace Mason Mount and Saul Niguez.
      Tottenham make one change with Harry Winks on for Oliver Skipp.
      New-look midfields for both sides for the last 20 minutes.
      Chelsea 2 Spurs 0
      70. Moura gets a chance with a volley after Royal whips in a cross but it loops over.
      Tottenham are like a different side this half but they still don’t really look like scoring a goal.
      A sharper Lukaku or more credible Werner would have helped Chelsea leave this Spurs side for dust.
      But they remain a faint threat if they can somehow muster up a goal against the run of play.
      Chelsea 2 Spurs 0
      65.Timo Werner miss – yes that’s right, the pseudo-striker misses another sitter.
      A brilliant pass disects the Spurs defence and leaves the hapless forward with a prime chance.
      He decides to lob Lloris but his tame effort is grabbed by the outstretched Frenchman.
      It almost seems a form of torture to keep playing Werner as a central striker.
      Chelsea 2 Spurs 0
      66. Another half chance for Tottenham as Moura and Ryal combine down the right.
      That comes to nothing but Ben Davies then keeps up the pressure over the other side.
      Moura is having a much bigger influence.
      Chelsea 2 Spurs 0
      62. Werner almost scores a goal – yes, Timo Werner.
      Spurs insists on backtracking away from the German striker so he fires a sht that fizzes just wide.
      Then Sarr gets a yellow for catching Kane with a wayward arm. The right call as it didn’t seem a malicious elbow attack.
      Chelsea 2 Spurs 0
      Poor Timo Werner gets his first sign of action but is called offside as soon as his fifth touch gets the ball under control.
      This looked the perfect game to build up his confidence after the first 45 but Tottenham seem to have toughned up over the break so he will not find it as fun as Kai Havertz did.
      Chelsea are knocking it about, getting touches and probing.
      And then Tanganga does his best to gift Chelsea a chance with a clueless attempt at dribbling into midfield.
      Chelsea 2 Spurs 0
      55. Harry Kane’s heat map looks like a cry for help as he has failed to tough the ball in Chelsea’s penalty box.
      Lukaku tees up a dreamy chance for Ziyech but he makes his left-foot effort so obvious that Lloris catches it almost sarcastically.
      Moura then creates an opening for Ndombele at the other end but he blazes wide.
      Exciting start to the half with Spurs showing some fight.
      Chelsea 2 Spurs 0
      51. Spurs look like a side that has left the half-time hair dryer.
      They launch another attack until Son is masterfully tackled by Saul.
      The Blues get back in the drving seat with Alonso crossing and Lukaku connecting with a volley that dribbles into Lloris’ hands.
      Chelsea 2 Spurs 0
      48. Ndombele gets stuck straight in by winning a free-kick right on the edge of the box for a foul from Sarr.
      Son and Ndombele like the look of the angle.
      But it’s the Englishman that hits it and Kepa has to make a standard save to his right.
      All change here
      Timo Werner has come on for Kai Havertz, wonder how many chances Timo can miss in 45 minutes instead of 90.
      And Conte has shuffled around his defence with midfielder Ndombele entering the disaster zone for Matt Doherty.
      Spurs’ back five has now become a four – who on earth knows if that can help.
      Load more entries… More

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      Liverpool pushing for Carabao Cup clash with Arsenal to be postponed amid covid outbreak with up to 14 new cases at club

      by

      LIVERPOOL want Thursday’s Carabao Cup clash with Arsenal postponed after a dramatic surge in Covid positive results at Anfield.If the EFL agree to their request, then Sunday’s FA Cup third-round visit of Shrewsbury will almost certainly have to be called off as well.
      Liverpool are hoping to postpone the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final tie with ArsenalCredit: Getty
      The Merseysider’s squad has been decimated by CovidCredit: AFP
      With Jurgen Klopp still isolating as many as FOURTEEN new cases are understood to have emerged within the club.
      Training that had been scheduled for 4pm was cancelled and the plea to call off the semi final first leg was officially made on Tuesday night.
      A statement read: “The Reds have formally requested to the EFL that the fixture is rescheduled after further suspected positive tests were registered among players and staff, allied to other factors impacting selection, including illness and injury.
      “Among the considerations which led to today’s application to the EFL is the need for travelling supporters to be given as much notice as possible of any potential postponement.
      “With no prospect of the current situation improving ahead of Thursday’s fixture and the potential for it to worsen, the club considers it both prudent and reasonable to ask for the fixture to be rescheduled.”
      The EFL said the request would be ‘considered in accordance with the competition rules as set out at the start of the season alongside information submitted by the club.’
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      Klopp missed Sunday’s thrilling 2–2 Prem clash at Stamford Bridge after testing positive the day before.
      Joining him were Alisson, Joel Matip and Roberto Firmino who has suffered the same fate.
      Before Christmas, Virgil van Dijk, Fabinho and Curtis Jones were also forced out by the virus.
      Klopp, still conducting operations while isolating and who had only mild symptoms of coronavirus, was already well down on first-team squad numbers should the EFL Cup game survive.
      Mo Salah, Naby Keita and Sadio Mane have joined their respective countries on AFCON duty following the meeting with Chelsea.
      Thiago Alcantara is suffering from a troublesome thigh injury.
      Jurgen Klopp is currently isolating after testing positive for CovidCredit: PA
      Meanwhile, Alisson, Matip and Firmino would automatically be unavailable for the Arsenal game having tested positive with their manager.
      Liverpool had believed they had fared better than most clubs in keeping down the number of positive cases within the Kop camp.
      Now they have been hit by what is the biggest outbreak of coronavirus within the club so far.
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      Mikel Arteta to return to dugout for Carabao Cup semi-final with Liverpool but Klopp still ruled out with Covid

      by

      MIKEL ARTETA is set to return to the Emirates technical area for Thursday’s Carabao Cup semi-final clash with Liverpool.But Reds boss Jurgen Klopp will be forced to miss the game because he is still in isolation after testing positive for Covid.
      Mikel Arteta is due to return to the dugout for Arsenal when they play Liverpool next in the league cupCredit: MatchDay Images Limited
      Arteta, 39, was unable to attend Saturday’s agonising 2-1 home defeat by Manchester City after catching coronavirus for the second time last week.
      He was forced to watch the game from home, relaying messages to coaching assistant Carlos Cuesta while assistant manager Albert Stuivenberg took charge of the team.
      But his mandatory seven-day isolation period expires on Tuesday evening.
      And this means he could be free to return to the club’s London Colney training ground on Wednesday as long as he provides a negative PCR test.
      Arsenal are still sweating on the fitness of striker Eddie Nketiah, who also missed Saturday’s match after testing positive for Covid.
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      Nketiah has become a Carabao Cup specialist this season, scoring a hat-trick in last month’s 5-1 quarter-final win against Sunderland
      The England Under-21 has netted ten goals in nine appearances in the competition.
      Liverpool are expected to be without goalkeeper Alisson, striker Roberto Firmino and Klopp, 54, as well as defender Joel Matip.
      The Anfield trio missed Sunday’s 2-2 draw at Chelsea after testing positive for Covid.
      Klopp’s Dutch number two Pep Lijnders will take charge again for the semi-final first leg, with the return game at Anfield scheduled for next Thursday.
      And the team will also be without star forwards Mo Salah and Sadio Mane and midfielder Naby Keita, with the trio competing in the African Cup of Nations.
      Salah and Mane were on target for Liverpool during their 2-2 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
      Pep Ljinders is due to stand in for Jurgen Klopp in Liverpool’s dugout against ArsenalCredit: Alamy More

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      Jurgen Klopp and Antonio Conte demand Carabao Cup second-legs are SCRAPPED amid fixture pile-up and Covid chaos

      by

      JURGEN Klopp and Antonio Conte have called for their Carabao Cup semi-finals to be cut to just one leg. Liverpool battled into the last four after an exhausting 3-3 draw with Leicester and penalty shootout win.
      Jurgen Klopp after Liverpool’s win over LeicesterCredit: Rex
      Tottenham meanwhile, booked their place by beating London rivals West Ham.
      They are now set to face Chelsea over two legs in another derby at the start of January, while Liverpool will play Arsenal, with a week separating both ties.
      Anfield boss Jurgen Klopp said: “I think it would be better with one game absolutely, but obviously what I say is not too important.
      “If there are two games, then we will play two games. But it would be helpful if there was only one, true.
      “The draw has us at Arsenal, I’m fine with that, we play there and see who is better and go for it.
      “I don’t just speak about player welfare this year, I have been speaking about it for six years or maybe longer.
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      “If the things I say would help more, I would say it much more often. But it doesn’t help.
      “The only thing I do with these messages is I create headlines. They never arrive at the right places.
      “Tomorrow we have a meeting at 4pm but it’s with the Premier League and not with the EFL, I’m not sure if they are involved or not.
      “I said it before, I would prefer only one semi-final. But I can’t see any kind of changes actually.”
      Tottenham’s Conte had a similar view, and said: “Honestly if I have to decide, maybe it would be to play one game and not two games.
      “Especially for the situation we are living. But we have to respect the rules.”
      Antonio Conte during Spurs’ 2-1 win over West HamCredit: Getty More

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      Tottenham vs West Ham: Live stream, TV channel, team news, kick-off time for Carabao Cup quarter-final match-up TONIGHT

      by

      TOTTENHAM are up against London foes West Ham in their big Carabao Cup quarter-final match-up. Spurs have had a handful of matches postponed in recent weeks due to Covid-19 outbreaks and bad weather but were excellent upon their return to action against Liverpool on Sunday.
      West Ham beat Tottenham 1-0 when the two sides met earlier this seasonCredit: Getty
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      Harry Kane finally scored at home and Heung-Min Son equalised late on against the Reds in a 2-2 draw at Spurs’ stadium.
      West Ham had their game at the weekend postponed and were last victorious in a 3-2 win against Chelsea in November.
      What time does Tottenham vs West Ham kick-off?-

      Tottenham’s clash with West Ham will get underway from 7.45pm UK time on Wednesday, December 22.
      The game will take place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.
      At this moment, the game is still set to go ahead and fans will attend, despite rising coronavirus cases in the EFL and Premier League.

      What channel is it and can it be live streamed?

      Tottenham vs West Ham will be shown live Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports Main Event in the UK.
      You can live stream the action from the NOW TV or Sky Go app, both of which are available for download onto your mobile or tablet device.
      Follow all the action on radio by tuning into talkSPORT.

      Team news
      Christian Romero will miss out for Spurs because of a thigh injury that will keep him out until the new year.
      Steven Bergwijn and Joe Rodon could get call ups to the first XI, having not featured a lot in recent weeks.
      Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg remains Tottenham’s only doubt.
      For the Hammers, Aaron Cresswell could return to action, while youngster Harrison Ashby could get a run-out for David Moyes’ side.
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      Odds

      Tottenham – 13/10
      Tottenham to qualify – 13/20
      Draw – 12/5
      West Ham – 11/5
      West Ham to qualify – 6/5

      *Odds courtesy of Betfair and correct at time of publication. More

    • 225 Shares159 Views

      in Soccer

      Is Liverpool vs Leicester on TV? Channel, live stream, team news, kick-off time for Carabao Cup quarter-final game

      by

      LIVERPOOL take on the tough test of facing Leicester in their Carabao Cup quarter-final at Anfield this week. The Reds are fresh off their entertaining 2-2 draw with Tottenham at the weekend while Leicester’s game with Everton was postponed due to a Covid-19 outbreak at the Foxes’ training ground.
      Andy Robertson will miss the Leicester game through suspensionCredit: Alamy
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      Both sides head into this clash with absentees so Leicester may see it as a good opportunity to take a huge scalp in Liverpool out of the competition.
      Brendan Rodgers’ side won the FA Cup last season and will be after more domestic silverware this time around.
      What time does Liverpool vs Leicester kick-off?

      Liverpool’s clash with Leicester will get underway from 7.45pm UK time on Wednesday, December 22.
      The game will take place at the Anfield.
      At this moment, the game is still set to go ahead and fans will attend, despite rising coronavirus cases in the EFL and Premier League.

      Is Liverpool vs Leicester on TV and can it be live streamed?

      Unfortunately for viewers in the UK, Liverpool vs Leicester will NOT be shown on TV.
      The game is on at the same time as other EFL Carabao Cup games Brentford vs Chelsea and Tottenham vs West Ham.
      And it’s Spurs’ clash with the Hammers that has been chosen for Sky Sports coverage.
      Listen to all of the action live on talkSPORT.

      Team news
      Liverpool will still be without Virgil van Dijk, who tested positive for coronavirus last week.
      Among the other positive tests in the squad are Thiago, Fabinho and Curtis Jones.
      Andy Robertson is suspended after getting sent off against Tottenham while James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain could start the game.
      Takumi Minamino and Kostas Tsimikas should also both start.
      Leicester had 19 positive tests last week and will be without Jannik Vestergaard, Ayoze Perez, Kelechi Iheanacho and Ademola Lookman.
      Daniel Amartey and Wilfred Ndidi could make up an improvised centre-back pairing with both Jonny Evans and Caglar Soyuncu injured.
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      Odds

      Liverpool – 8/11
      Liverpool to qualify – 1/3
      Draw – 3/1
      Leicester – 15/4
      Leicester to qualify – 9/4

      *Odds courtesy of Betfair and correct at time of publication. More