January 7th 2025.
Tonight, Arsenal will be facing off against Newcastle in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-finals. This week, all eyes will be on the four remaining teams as they battle it out for a chance to reach the Wembley showpiece. The Gunners will be playing on their home turf at the Emirates, with hopes of winning the competition for only the third time in their history. It's been almost 30 years since their last victory in 1992/93. On the other hand, Newcastle is aiming to make it to the final for the second time in just three seasons. In 2019, they suffered defeat to Manchester United in the final.
The other semi-final will see Tottenham facing off against Liverpool at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium the following night. As the current league leaders and winners of last year's trophy under Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool will enter the match as strong favorites. Tottenham, on the other hand, has been plagued by injuries and is hoping to secure their first trophy since their League Cup victory 18 years ago. As with any competition, the rules may differ, so let's take a closer look at what to expect in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup.
One question on many fans' minds is whether away goals will count in the semi-finals. The answer is no. The English Football League scrapped the away goals rule in 2018/19, which previously only came into effect after extra-time in the semi-finals. Instead, if the scores are tied after the second leg, the match will go into extra-time and if needed, penalties. This change was made to provide a fair and consistent playing field for all teams involved.
Another hot topic in football these days is the use of VAR (Video Assistant Referee). Fans will be relieved to know that VAR will be in use for both semi-finals as well as the final at Wembley in March. This is the first time in this season's competition that VAR will be utilized, as it was previously absent in the earlier rounds. The decision to implement VAR for the semi-finals and final was made to ensure consistency and fairness for all teams, regardless of whether they have the technology installed at their home stadium.
In an exciting development, referees in both of this week's games will be making in-stadium announcements on the outcome of VAR reviews. This is a first for English football and is being used as a pilot for a potential permanent implementation in the future. This move brings English football in line with other competitions around the world, where in-match announcements from referees are a regular occurrence.
We can't wait to see how these semi-finals play out and who will make it to the final. What are your thoughts on the use of VAR and the absence of the away goals rule? Share your views in the comments below.
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