Three EFL Cup quarter-finals were played in England on Wednesday evening, with Arsenal, Liverpool and Newcastle United qualifying. In Ligue 1, a clash between PSG and AS Monaco was marked by a frightening scene: Gianluigi Donnarumma, the PSG goalkeeper, suffered a serious facial injury.
EFL Cup : Arsenal, Liverpool et Newcastle en demi-finals
The semi-finals of the English League Cup take shape this week. Arsenal were the first to validate their ticket. However, the Gunners, with Trossard starting, were led on their lawn by Crystal Palace. But in the second half, Gabriel Jesus turned things around with a hat-trick, allowing his team to win 3-2.
Liverpool also secured their place in the last four. The Reds, Premier League leaders, led 0-2 at the break at Southampton thanks to a solid performance. Despite Archer reducing the lead in the second half, Arne Slot’s side held on to win 1-2.
For their part, Newcastle won 3-1 against Brentford, driven by a brace from Tonali. Finally, the last quarter-final will pit Tottenham against Manchester United on Thursday, promising a spectacular duel to complete the semi-final table.
Ligue 1: PSG outclasses Monaco but loses Donnarumma
In France, Paris Saint-Germain faced AS Monaco on Wednesday evening in a Ligue 1 classic. However, a shocking incident marked the first half: Gianluigi Donnarumma was violently hit in the face by Singo, who avoided narrowly a red card. The Italian had to be replaced due to a deep facial injury.
Despite this unfortunate event, the match offered a great spectacle at the Louis-II stadium. PSG opened the scoring in the 20th minute through Doué, but Monaco hit back at the start of the second half with goals from Embolo and Ben Seghir. The Parisians, however, regained control of the match, winning 2-4 thanks to a double from Dembélé and a goal from Ramos.
With this victory, PSG widens the gap at the top of the championship, now 10 points ahead of its pursuers Monaco and Marseille.
Between spectacle and injuries
As domestic competitions continue to provide spectacle, Donnarumma’s injury is a reminder of how unforgiving football can be. If PSG brilliantly managed this shock at the top, the situation of the Italian goalkeeper remains worrying. As for the English clubs, the EFL Cup semi-finals also promise their share of exciting confrontations in the weeks to come.
