Carabao Cup: Manchester City too strong for Chelsea as Arsenal are dumped out by Brighton

Manchester City 2 Chelsea 0

Riyad Mahrez and Julian Alvarez struck early in the second half as Manchester City began their latest Carabao Cup quest with a 2-0 win over Chelsea.

Mahrez gave City the lead with a fine free-kick after 53 minutes of Wednesday’s third-round tie before Alvarez tapped in the second five minutes later at the Etihad Stadium.

Chelsea’s impressive youngster Lewis Hall twice brought good saves out of Stefan Ortega but City, bidding to win the competition for a seventh time in 10 seasons, were good value for their victory.

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Further good news for the home side – and potentially England – was that midfielder Kalvin Phillips had a 40-minute run-out.

Phillips had been out since undergoing shoulder surgery in September and the game was his last opportunity to prove his fitness before England boss Gareth Southgate names his World Cup squad on Thursday.

Phillips’ introduction allowed City to take and maintain control after a tame first half.

With both sides making seven changes, the game lacked Premier League intensity. With Erling Haaland, Phil Foden and Kevin De Bruyne on the City bench it was left to the likes of Jack Grealish and Mahrez to provide the spark.

Grealish went close early on with a shot that curled narrowly wide before he was felled just outside the area by Kalidou Koulibaly.

The resulting free-kick from Ilkay Gunodgan came to nothing but the German later teed up Alvarez only for the Argentinian to miss the target.

Grealish had another opportunity when he cut inside to force a save from Edouard Mendy but, although City controlled most of the possession, Chelsea also threatened.

City goalkeeper Ortega needed to be alert after the ball rebounded off team-mate Rico Lewis before he later saved from Christian Pulisic.

Hall, an 18-year-old making only his second Chelsea start, almost made a name for himself with a brilliant run and step to wrong-foot Lewis but Ortega saved with his feet.

City moved up a gear after the break as Grealish and Mahrez began to get the bit between their teeth.

The introduction of Phillips and Bernardo Silva after 50 minutes also injected some energy.

Grealish brought two brilliant saves out of Mendy before Trevoh Chalobah fouled Mahrez on the edge of the area and paid the price as the Algerian curled a free-kick over the wall to score.

City quickly doubled the lead with Mahrez again involved, this time controlling beautifully before shooting across goal. Mendy parried but Alvarez was on hand to snap up the rebound.

Chelsea responded well and Hakim Ziyech should have done better with an effort he slashed wide and Hall was unlucky to be denied again when Ortega got a strong hand to his low strike.

Chelsea boss Graham Potter turned to former City forward Raheem Sterling and the home side had a moment of alarm when Sergio Gomez headed against his own post. Pulisic also forced the ball into the net but the flag was raised.

Arsenal 1 Brighton 3

A much-changed Arsenal side crashed out of the Carabao Cup at the hands of Brighton as debutant goalkeeper Karl Hein had a night to forget.

The Gunners sit top of the Premier League and qualified as winners of their Europa League group, but Mikel Arteta made 10 alterations for the tie and Brighton came from behind to win 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium.

Eddie Nketiah finished off a fine move to put the home side ahead before Hein fell over and conceded a penalty all in one motion as former Arsenal man Danny Welbeck levelled from the spot.

Two breakaway goals after the interval, firstly through substitute Kaoru Mitoma and then Tariq Lamptey, saw Brighton advance to round four.

It was a first home defeat in 12 games for Arsenal, the last also coming at the hands of the Seagulls, who have now lost just one of their last five visits.

With only William Saliba retaining his place from Sunday’s win at Chelsea, it was no surprise Arsenal started in a disjointed fashion, allowing Brighton several long-range chances on goal.

Welbeck saw a shot blocked before Jeremy Sarmiento fired just over and Julio Enciso also missed the target for the visitors.

Brighton were made to rue their inability to capitalise on a slow start from their hosts, falling behind to a fine finish from Nketiah, who curled home having been picked out by Reiss Nelson.

This is Nketiah’s competition for sure, the former England Under-21 international having now netted 11 goals in 12 League Cup appearances.

But Hein then had his moment to forget, slipping over as Welbeck ran through and picking himself up only in time to bring down the marauding forward, who duly sent the beleaguered goalkeeper the wrong way from the resulting penalty.

Nketiah hit the post soon after the restart, his low strike tipped onto the woodwork by Jason Steele before the Brighton goalkeeper made a fine stop to keep out Nelson’s header moments later.

Brighton turned things around just before the hour as Mitoma, off the bench at the break, coolly finished past Hein before Arteta reacted by throwing on Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Magalhaes.

He was soon turning to his bench again, this time Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko were introduced after Lamptey has doubled Brighton’s lead following a driving run into the box.

With Granit Xhaka also coming on late on, Arsenal finished the game with half the outfield players who had started the 1-0 win at Chelsea – but it was not enough to bring about a late comeback.

Nottingham Forest 2 Tottenham 0

Jesse Lingard finally broke his Nottingham Forest duck as he scored in a 2-0 win that dumped sorry Tottenham out of the Carabao Cup.

Lingard has had an underwhelming start to his Forest career after his surprise free transfer in the summer and had not scored or made an assist in his opening 12 appearances – but he put that right on a memorable night at the City Ground.

The former Manchester United forward headed home from close range in the second half, seven minutes after Renan Lodi curled in to give the Reds a deserved lead on a humiliating night for Spurs.

This competition was a credible chance for Antonio Conte’s men to end their trophy drought but this was a dismal display.

Forest, who had to play the final 14 minutes with 10 men after Orel Mangala had been sent off, may be bottom of the Premier League but they have a rich history in the League Cup, having won it four times, and now at the last-16 stage, they will begin to dream again after a resounding victory.

Tottenham showed their intent by naming a strong team, with no hint of a rest for Harry Kane, who has started every game this season.

Forest made nine changes but started strongly and could have gone ahead inside the opening 10 minutes.

Davinson Sanchez’s attempted clearance crashed into Taiwo Awoniyi and the ball deflected past Fraser Forster into the post, with the Spurs goalkeeper forced to sprawl across goal and keep out Lingard’s header from the rebound.

It was another nondescript start from Spurs, who have been dogged by poor first-half performances recently, and Forest continued to push as Lingard had an effort deflected over and then Forster saved at point-blank range from Joe Worrall.

Spurs managed to get in the game, though never really threatened before the break apart from when Ivan Perisic’s cross found its way to Matt Doherty at the far post and the Ireland international’s first-time effort was beaten away by Wayne Hennessey.

Conte’s men, who have now gone eight games without scoring in the first half, would have been hoping for a customary strong showing after the break, but it did not come as Forest started strongly.

Lingard stung the palms of Forster before a deserved breakthrough came in the 50th minute.

Forest won possession back high up the pitch and played the ball out to Lodi, who was allowed to advance on goal and cut inside before curling a delightful finish into the far corner.

The hosts were rampant and only a brilliant stop with his feet by Forster denied Sam Surridge a second.

But there was no stopping Forest as Lingard finally got his first goal for the club in the 57th minute, nodding in from close range after Surridge sent Serge Aurier’s cross back across goal.

Kane was promptly withdrawn in a seemingly pre-planned substitution, which did little to help Spurs’ chances of a comeback.

Forest’s night was marred by Mangala’s stupid red card in the 76th minute as he picked up a second yellow card for scything down Richarlison.

It did not prove costly, though, as Spurs could not mount a recovery, with Richarlison seeing an effort ruled out for offside.