Carabao Cup: Arsenal cruise, Palace shock Liverpool and Chelsea survive thriller

Carabao Cup: Arsenal cruise, Palace shock Liverpool and Chelsea survive thriller

A flurry of knockout drama unfolded in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night as Arsenal edged Brighton, Palace stunned Liverpool, Manchester City rallied past Swansea, Chelsea survived Wolves, and Newcastle brushed aside Tottenham.

The quarter-final draw now sets up tantalising ties, including a blockbuster Arsenal v Crystal Palace showdown.

Arsenal Overcome Brighton with Youthful Flair

Arsenal recorded a 2-0 win over Brighton in the fourth round, their eighth straight victory across all competitions.

Teenager Max Dowman grabbed headlines as he became the club's youngest ever starter at 15 years and 302 days, and the Hale End academy continued to deliver with goals from Ethan Nwaneri and Bukayo Saka.

Nwaneri, 18, opened the scoring in the first half, converting Myles Lewis-Skelly's cross with composure. Saka sealed the tie in the second half, tapping in the rebound after Andre Harriman-Annous's shot was saved.

Brighton had the better of the first half, with Kepa Arrizabalaga called into action multiple times, including when Georginio Rutter forced a smart save after breaking free.

With a string of recent clean sheets underpinning their form, Arsenal's defensive stability is proving a foundation even as they rotate heavily.

Arteta shuffled his side, retaining only Eberechi Eze from the XI that beat Palace earlier in the week.

Palace Blank Liverpool in Anfield Rout

Crystal Palace delivered a statement 3-0 victory at Anfield to book their place in the quarter-finals.

Ismaila Sarr was the star, grabbing both goals in the first half, while Yeremy Pino wrapped things up late on.

Liverpool, fielding an experimental side, conceded after Joe Gomez's mis-clearance allowed Sarr to fire home. Moments later, Pino assisted Sarr's second before tucking in Palace's third with a low curled finish in the 88th minute.

The Reds' woes deepen, this is their sixth defeat in seven matches, and their worst home cup loss in over 90 years. Liverpool's night worsened further when teenager Amara Nallo was sent off in the 79th minute for denying a goalscoring opportunity.

Man City Rally Past Swansea After Early Setback

Manchester City came from behind to beat Championship side Swansea 3-1 and move into the quarter-finals.

Goncalo Franco stunned City with a curled long-range strike in the 10th minute.

City equalised before half-time thanks to a deflected Jeremy Doku effort, and late goals from Omar Marmoush and Rayan Cherki wrapped up the comeback.

Though through, Guardiola's men offered few signs of control, particularly in the final third, raising fresh questions over their identity this season.

Chelsea Survive Rollercoaster vs Wolves

Chelsea escaped a dramatic 4-3 encounter with Wolves to reach the last eight.

The Blues raced into a 3-0 lead inside the first half, Andrey Santos, Tyrique George, and Estevao netting early.

But Wolves mounted a furious second-half fightback. Tolu Arokodare struck first, followed by David Moller Wolfe to make it 3-2. 

Chelsea's defence stumbled again to allow a 90+1st-minute equaliser from Wolfe, but Gittens' stunning 89th-minute long-range strike spared their blushes.

Even with a red card to Liam Delap in the 86th minute, the Blues clung on.

Newcastle Overwhelm Tottenham to Retain Hold on Cup

Newcastle stamped their authority with a 2-0 win over Tottenham, booking a fourth successive quarter-final appearance.

Fabian Schar opened the scoring in the 24th minute, meeting Sandro Tonali's corner with a downward header.

Nick Woltemade, with his sixth goal of the season, sealed the result early in the second half with another header.

Newcastle rotated heavily, retaining just a few regulars, but still controlled much of the match, even as Tottenham pressed late.

Quarter-Final Draw: Big Names Set to Collide

The quarter-final draw landed these headline pairings:

Arsenal v Crystal Palace

Newcastle v Fulham

Manchester City v Brentford

Cardiff City v Chelsea

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