Carabao Cup

MARTIN ODEGAARD crowned his second Arsenal debut with a stunning slick assist for Bukayo Saka.The Norway ace, 22, only returned to the Emirates last week in a £30million move from Real Madrid.

Martin Odegaard produced a sublime assist for Bukayo Saka against West BromCredit: Reuters
Odegaard, who impressed while on loan at Arsenal in the first half of 2021, was thrust into tonight’s starting XI at West Brom.
And the playmaker helped his team to an epic 6-0 thrashing in the Carabao Cup second-round clash.
Odegaard was unable to find the back of the net at the Hawthorns.
But he did produce a sublime piece of magic to set up teammate Saka.
The England winger made a sharp dribble down the left before cutting in centrally.
Saka laid off the ball to Odegaard, who used some quick thinking to simply flick his leg behind.

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The silky one-touch backheel then found Saka, who had continued running, right in front of the West Brom goal.
And he pulled the trigger in front of jubilant away fans to make it 4-0.
Nicolas Pepe and Alexandre Lacazette also scored in the thrashing.
But it was Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who walked away with the match ball thanks to a terrific hat-trick.

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However, Odegaard will have been left kicking himself in the first half after missing an open goal himself.
The midfielder found himself facing an empty net following a Baggies mix-up at the back.
But instead of firing it in the goal, or squaring it across the box, Odegaard instead sent a shot crashing into the side netting.
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PIERRE-EMERICK AUBAMEYANG answered Mikel Arteta’s call to arms as Arsenal finally remembered how to win again.Arteta had urged his senior stars to step up and take responsibility after the club’s worst ever start to a top-flight season.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored three as Arsenal smashed West Brom 6-0Credit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
Bukayo Saka was also on the scoresheet as the Gunners picked up their first win of the seasonCredit: PA
And captain Aubameyang climbed off his sickbed to see off West Brom’s reserves and get the Gunners’ up and running.
Starting his first game since contracting Covid two weeks ago, the £60million superstar scored three and set up Nicolas Pepe for another to put this Carabao Cup tie safely to bed.
Bukayo Saka and Alex Lacazette were also on target as Arsenal racked up their biggest win since December 2017.
And how Arteta needed this result after back to back Premier League defeats by Brentford and Chelsea had left him feeling the heat like never before.
Of course the Spaniard is not out of the woods yet and Saturday’s trip to Champions Manchester City will certainly provide him with a much sterner test than Albion’s kids could manage last night.
But you can only beat what is put in front of you and Arsenal are in no position to turn up their noses at any sort of victory right now.

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It was the first time that Arsenal had appeared at this early stage of the League Cup since they last failed to qualify for Europe 26 years ago.
And the fact that West Brom changed the entire team which had beaten Blackburn at weekend confirmed that boss Valerien Ismael wasn’t half as desperate for a result as Arteta.
The Carabao Cup was clearly way down on his list of priorities as he handed debuts to six players after David Button and Callum Robinson tested positive for Covid and Rayhaan Tulloch was injured in the pre-match warm-up.
Yet what Albion lacked in experience they more than made up for in enthusiasm as Martin Odegaard, Granit Xhaka and Nuno Tavares were all subjected to early bone rattlers.
And anxious Arsenal supporters would hardly have been reassured by the sight of teenager Caleb Taylor at the heart of the home defence.
Because it was Taylor’s father Martin who infamously broke the leg of Eduardo while playing for Birmingham against the Gunners back in 2008.
No wonder Arsenal were a bag of nerves as Aaron Ramsdale was forced into the first save of the evening by Tom Fellows and Taylor Gardner-Hickman shot narrowly wide from the corner.
Ramsdale was making his Gunners debut following last week’s £24million move from Sheffield United and quickly realised that he is going to have his work cut out at the Emirates.
Nicolas Pepe was in top form and found the target in the first halfCredit: Reuters
Alexandre Lacazette came off the bench to score his first of the new termCredit: Reuters
Martin Odegaard missed an open goal on his debut but made up for it with a gorgeous assistCredit: Reuters
But just when it was shaping up to be the ultimate humiliation for the visitors, they bought themselves some much-needed breathing room with their first goal of the season.
Midfield rookie Quevin Castro was caught in possession by Saka and though the England star’s 17th minute shot was saved by Alex Palmer, Aubameyang was lurking for a simple tap-in.
It was a similar story just before the break, when he stroked home the rebound after Pepe’s shot had come back off a post.
And Aubameyang returned the favour in first-half stoppage time when he hooked the ball across goal for Pepe to convert from close range.
Saka was next up to make his mark, firing home after a beautiful backheel from Odegaard in his first appearance since completing his £30million permanent move from Real Madrid.
But Aubameyang was not finished yet, cutting inside to complete his hat-trick with a beauty into the top corner before Lacazette came off the bench to complete the rout.
Odegaard and Pepe also struck the woodwork as Arsenal’s superstars took full advantage of their opponents’ naivety to run riot.
Yet Ismael won’t be too downhearted by this result as he focuses all his efforts on securing an immediate return to the Premier League.
It was West Brom’s 3-1 defeat at the Emirates in May which confirmed their relegation and led to the departure of manager Sam Allardyce and half of the squad.

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Aaron Ramsdale got his first taste of Arsenal action between the sticksCredit: Reuters
New defender Nuno Tavares impressed at right-backCredit: Reuters
It was captain fantastic Aubameyang who walked off with the match ballCredit: Getty
But now their supporters have a new spring in their step after watching their team challenge Fulham at the top of the Championship.
And they certainly won’t be losing any sleep over this one as they responded to the taunts of visiting fans by demanding: “How s*** must you be, we’re playing our kids.”
It was hard to argue with their logic.
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MARTIN ODEGAARD fluffed an open-goal on his second Arsenal debut in tonight’s 6-0 Carabao Cup thrashing of West Brom.And the miss prompted Gunners fans to joke that the club should have kept a receipt for the £30million man.
Martin Odegaard missed an open goal against West Brom on his second Arsenal debutCredit: Sky Sports
Gunners fans joked the club should have kept a receipt for the £30m playmakerCredit: Sky Sports
Odegaard, 22, rejoined Arsenal last week from Real Madrid, having spent the first half of 2021 on loan at the Emirates.
The Norwegian playmaker was unable to make his first appearance as a permanent player in the 2-0 home defeat to Chelsea on Sunday.
And Odegaard was instead thrust into Wednesday’s starting XI for the second-round win at West Brom.
Arsenal started well as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang fired them ahead after recovering from coronavirus.
But Odegaard could have the Gunners 2-0 up at the Hawthorns after taking advantage of a Baggies mistake at the back.
Odegaard found himself in front of goal with the ball at his feet after a defensive mix-up.

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But instead of playing a square ball across the box which would have absolutely guaranteed a successful strike, Odegaard instead decided to try his own luck.
However, despite not being at a tight angle, the midfielder was unable to direct his shot into the back of the net, instead feebly hitting the side netting.
And Arsenal supporters were quick to deride the effort from their new man.
One quipped: “How am I going to tell my kids Odegaard missed from there?”
Another said: “We spent £30million on Odegaard who’s just there for vibes.”
One noted: “Ain’t no way Odegaard is being right now, my guy you played for Real Madrid.”
Another tweeted: “Odegaard can’t be the same guy that played pro ball with Ronaldo at 15, he just can’t be.”
One added: “Quick, get the receipt, this Odegaard guy is sus.”
Odegaard’s miss was soon forgotten though when Aubameyang grabbed his second of the night before half-time.

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And there were still seconds left for Nicolas Pepe to make it 3-0 ahead of the interval.
Odegaard then bagged a sublime assist in the second half as Bukayo Saka hit the target.
And Aubameyang netted his third hat-trick in a Gunners shirt with 30 minutes still on the clock before Alexandre Lacazette made it 6-0 with the final goal of the game.
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