- Arteta will face mentor Pep Guardiola in Carabao Cup
- Jürgen Klopp hints Xherdan Shaqiri will leave Anfield
Mikel Arteta is developing a reputation as a cup specialist, but he admitted the thrill of winning at Anfield was curtailed when the news of the quarter-final Carabao Cup draw came through. “I was celebrating in the dressing room when I heard it was City next,” the Arsenal manager said. “Obviously that’s a team I know very well and we will have a hard game in store, but we will prepare for it and try to do well.”
Arsenal won on penalties after a goalless 90 minutes against Liverpool, something else Arteta seems to be good at organising. “We do practice taking penalties for shootouts,” he said. “But it all depends on how calm the player is on the night. When I saw Ainsley Maitland-Niles’s body language as he walked up to take his shot I thought he might be too calm, but he put his shot away so that was all right.” Arteta had praise for goalkeeper Bernd Leno, as Jürgen Klopp did, but also Bukayo Saka, just called up to the England squad by Gareth Southgate. “I am extremely happy for him, he’s an incredible talent and he deserves his chance.”
Related: Arsenal to play Manchester City after Carabao Cup shootout win at Liverpool
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