Arsenal vs Sunderland LIVE: Carabao Cup result, final score and reaction

Follow all the action as Arsenal welcome Sunderland to the Emirates Stadium in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals tonight.

After lifting the FA Cup in 2020, Mikel Arteta is chasing a second piece of silverware as a head coach, and Arsenal have been in fine form in recent weeks, with victories against Southampton, West Ham and Leeds propelling the Gunners into the top four. The absence of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who has trained alone since being stripped of the captaincy, has hardly been felt either, with Gabriel Martinelli in brilliant goalscoring form, although Arteta may take the chance to give the Brazilian and many other regular starters a much-needed rest amid another busy run of games.

Sunderland are the only non-Premier League side left in the draw and arrive in north London as huge underdogs. However, Lee Johnson’s side have been in good form themselves, having now gone seven games unbeaten in League One as they chase promotion back to the Championship. Follow all the latest updates below:

Arsenal vs Sunderland

• Arsenal: Arsenal XI: Leno, Cedric, White, Holding, Tavares, Elneny, Odegaard, Pepe, Smith Rowe, Nketiah, Balogun

• Sunderland: Burge, Winchester, Wright, Flanagan, Doyle, Gooch, Embleton, Neil, Pritchard, Broadhead, Stewart

Full-time: Arsenal 5 - 1 Sunderland

21:38 , Michael Jones

90+3 mins: A great night for Arsenal who become the first team to reach the Carabao Cup semi-finals. Sunderland were resilient in the first half but Arsenal stepped it up in the second. Eddie Nketiah bagged a hat-trick and Charlie Patino scored on his senior debut as Arsenal sweep Sunderland aside in the league cup.

GOAL! Arsenal 5 - 1 Sunderland (Patino, 90+1)⚽️

21:34 , Michael Jones

90+1 mins: A goal on debut! Martinelli plays the ball inside from the left wing and gives it to Xhaka. He sends a diagonal ball over to Pepe who carries it into the box. Patino darts towards the six-yard box and meets Pepe’s pass just in time to poke it wide of the goalkeeper and into the back of the net! Arsenal have five and 18-year-old Charlie Patino scores his first senior goal for the Gunners!

Arsenal 4 - 1 Sunderland

21:33 , Michael Jones

88 mins: Chance! Martinelli recovers a the ball after a clearance from Sunderland and chests it down to Xhaka. He flicks a pass into the box for Tavares who brings it under control and weaves around Wright before clasting a left-footed shot well over the crossbar!

Arsenal 4 - 1 Sunderland

21:30 , Michael Jones

86 mins: Penalty shout! Martinelli brings the ball into the box from the left and slides in a pass for Nketiah. Doyle comes across and seems to clip the Arsenal striker who goes down as the ball rolls out of play.

The referee takes a moment to make the decision and seems to point to the penalty spot before signalling that it is in fact a goalkick.

Arsenal 4 - 1 Sunderland

21:28 , Michael Jones

83 mins: Just like they did in the first half, Sunderland have wrestled a bit of momentum away from Arsenal. They aren’t creating much but Arsenal are no longer relentlessly pressuring the visitor’s penalty area.

Arsenal 4 - 1 Sunderland

21:23 , Michael Jones

80 mins: What a moment for Charlie Patino who makes his senir debut for Arsenal at 18 years of age. He’s brought on to replace fellow academy graduate Emile Smith Rowe.

Arsenal 4 - 1 Sunderland

21:21 , Michael Jones

78 mins: Yellow card for Bailey Wright who lunges into a sliding tackle on Gabriel Martinelli deep in his own half. He misses the ball and cleans out the Arsenal winger.

Cedric whips the free kick into the box but Burge meets it in the air and punches the ball clear.

Arsenal 4 - 1 Sunderland

21:18 , Michael Jones

75 mins: Chance for Sunderland to make something happen at the other end of the pitch as Gooch is brought down by Cedric on the left wing. Pritchard takes the free kick and belts an effort straight at goal but sends it into the hands of Leno.

Arsenal 4 - 1 Sunderland

21:17 , Michael Jones

72 mins: More changes from Mikel Arteta. Gabriel replaces Ben White in the back line and Gabriel Martinelli comes on in place of Martin Odegaard.

Arsenal 4 - 1 Sunderland

21:13 , Michael Jones

69 mins: Close! There’s only one thing on Odegaard’s mind as Arsenal win a free kick just outside the box over on the right side. He goes for the narrow gap at the near post but curls his left-footed effort wide of goal!

Arsenal seem destined to score again here.

Arsenal 4 - 1 Sunderland

21:12 , Michael Jones

66 mins: You can see the signs of fatigue on the Sunderland players now. Arsenal are knocking the ball around with ease and playing mainly in the visitors half. Tavares is played into space on the left and his cross finds Nketiah who scuffs a shot at Burge.

Arsenal 4 - 1 Sunderland

21:08 , Michael Jones

63 mins: Save! The game is gone for Sunderland now. Hume is having a torrid time against Pepe on Arsenal’s right side. Pepe breezes past the Sunderland left-back and works the ball to the byline. Odegaard is waiting in the box and the ball comes to him. He shoots but Burge keeps it out with solid left hand!

Arsenal 4 - 1 Sunderland

21:05 , Michael Jones

60 mins: Nearly! Nketiah’s having a great time out there. Arsenal break forward with Smith Rowe picking out Tavares in space on the left. He brings the ball forward before sending a pass across to Nketiah. He dinks the ball into the box and tries to recover it with a run through the middle of the defence but Burge is quick off his line and manages to smother the loose ball.

GOAL! Arsenal 4 - 1 Sunderland (Nketiah, 58’)⚽️

21:01 , Michael Jones

58 mins: Hat-trick hero! Odegaard threads the ball into the right side of the box as Pepe runs in behind Hume. He recovers the ball and then nutmegs the left-back to get into the box. Nketiah drifts into the middle of the box as Pepe sends him the ball and a backheel flick puts it past Burge to complete his hat-trick.

Arsenal 3 - 1 Sunderland

21:00 , Michael Jones

55 mins: Close! Sunderland almost get another one back as Embleton receives the ball on the right wing, cuts inside onto his left foot and curls an effort towards the far top corner. Leno stretches out a hand and tips the ball onto the post where it bounces clear!

Folarin Balogun is taken off by Mikel Arteta and on comes Granit Xhaka.

Arsenal 3 - 1 Sunderland

20:58 , Michael Jones

52 mins: Eddie Nketiah has turned down a contract extension with Arsenal and is reportedly leaving for free in the summer. He’s scored nine goals in nine league cup appearances for the Gunners.

GOAL! Arsenal 3 - 1 Sunderland (Nketiah, 49’)⚽️

20:53 , Michael Jones

49 mins: Great goal from the Gunners! Nuno Tavares brings the ball down the left side as Embleton comes across to win the ball. He slides into a tackle but Tavares shifts the ball around him and drives into the box. He chips the ball towards the near post where Nketiah nips in front of Doyle and guides the ball past Burge for Arsenal’s third!

Arsenal 2 - 1 Sunderland

20:51 , Michael Jones

48 mins: Stewart gets checked out by the medics and does a little jog to show he can play on. With Broadhead out, Stewart is Sunderland’s main striker now.

Lee Johnson seems to have made slight tactical change. Denver Hume is playing as a left-back in a back four with Winchester and Gooch pushed further forward into midfield.

Second half: Arsenal 2 - 1 Sunderland

20:49 , Michael Jones

Kick off: Sunderland get the game back underway. There hasn’t been anyway further changes from either side. The Black Cats flick the ball up towards Stewart who collides with Balogun and rolls over his ankle. This isn’t what Sunderland need at all.

Arsenal 2 - 1 Sunderland

20:42 , Michael Jones

Arsenal looked in complete control during that half, right up until Nathan Broadhead scored to make it 2-1. Sunderland then swept forward and the Gunners seemed to lose all confidence at the back.

A big plus for them though is Broadhead’s substitution. He took a knock and Lee Johnson decided against risking him in the second half.

Half-time: Arsenal 2 - 1 Sunderland

20:34 , Michael Jones

45+3 mins: Arsenal have conceded their first goal in the Carabao Cup this season but they lead by two goals to one at half-time. It looked as though the Gunners were going to run away with the game after goals from Eddie Nketiah and Nicolas Pepe but Nathan Broadhead earned one back for the visitors and kept them in the game.

Arsenal 2 - 1 Sunderland

20:31 , Michael Jones

45 mins: Three minutes of added time to play at the end of the first half. Nathan Broadhead has been down for a while after taking a knock. He gets some treatment but won’t be continuing for Sunderland. The forward is replaced with Denver Hume on the stroke of half-time.

Arsenal 2 - 1 Sunderland

20:30 , Michael Jones

43 mins: Save! Cedric sends another cross in from the right wing and finds Pepe who flicks it towards the back post. The ball is cleared as far as Emile Smith Rowe who hits one of the volley and forces Lee Burge into a sharp save to his right!

Arsenal 2 - 1 Sunderland

20:26 , Michael Jones

40 mins: Mikel Arteta looks a little worried on the sidelines as Odegaard picks out Pepe in the box. Cedric helps out again with an overlapping run and Pepe slides the ball to him. The right back whips in a cross but Wright gets to it first and clears the danger for Sunderland.

Arsenal 2 - 1 Sunderland

20:24 , Michael Jones

37 mins: Chance! Sunderland win a free kick that Pritchard swings into the box from the right side. Tom Flanagan is up for the visitors and throws himself at the dropping ball. He meets it with a header but knocks it wide of goal! He looked offside though but there didn’t seem to be a flag raised.

Arsenal 2 - 1 Sunderland

20:21 , Michael Jones

34 mins: The momentum is with Sunderland now. They win back-to-back corners with the second one being floated in from the right. Stewart wins the initial header but can’t generate enough power to reach the goal. He knocks the ball down and Smith Rowe hoofs it clear for the Gunners.

GOAL! Arsenal 2 - 1 Sunderland (Broadhead, 31’)⚽️

20:16 , Michael Jones

31 mins: Game on! Lovely goal from Sunderland. Pritchard gets the ball in midfield shifts away from an Arsenal man before shimmying around Elneny and squirting the ball to Stewart. He sends it up to Embleton who drives towards the box. Sunderland have a two-on-one going and Embleton draws in White before passing it to Broadhead in the box. Leno comes out to charge him down but the Sunderland striker lifts the ball over the goalkeeper and finds the back of the net!

GOAL! Arsenal 2 - 0 Sunderland (Pepe, 27’)⚽️

20:13 , Michael Jones

27 mins: Trouble for Sunderland! Odegaard plays the ball out to Pepe on the inside right channel. He waits for Cedric to bomb forward on the overlap before slipping him the ball. Cedric carries it towards the byline and draws in a bunch of Sunderland defenders before cutting it back to Pepe in the box. Pepe has time to set himself before launching a strong left footed shot at goal and leaving Burge no chance to keep it out. Arsenal double their lead!

Arsenal 1 - 0 Sunderland

20:12 , Michael Jones

26 mins: Nice play from Sunderland as Doyle picks out Broadhead with a through ball. The forward takes the ball into the Arsenal box but lays it off to Pritchard when he runs into trouble. Gooch comes forward on the left wing and receives the ball. He floats a cross towards the back post but Holding is there to head it clear.

Arsenal 1 - 0 Sunderland

20:10 , Michael Jones

25 mins: Chance! Callum Doyle gives the ball away to Pepe deep in his own half. Pepe squares a pass into Smith Rowe who feeds the ball to Balogun on the left side of the box. Balogun goes for placement over power and attempts to guide the ball into the far bottom corner but his side-footed effort is kept out by Burge.

Arsenal 1 - 0 Sunderland

20:08 , Michael Jones

23 mins: Chance! Arsenal are a big threat going forward, Sunderland need to hang in there as long as possible, another goal for the home side would be a killer.

Pepe brings the ball down the Arsenal right wing and Cedric provides an option on the overlap. The defender is given the ball and he whips across a good cross and picks out Balogun. Balogun jumps for the header but gets it all wrong and skews it well wide of the post.

Arsenal 1 - 0 Sunderland

20:06 , Michael Jones

20 mins: Eddie Nketiah has scored in each of his last three league cup appearances and now has five goals in his last five cup appearances at the Emirates stadium.

GOAL! Arsenal 1 - 0 Sunderland (Nketiah, 17’)⚽️

20:04 , Michael Jones

17 mins: Arsenal take the lead! They win a free kick over to the right of Sunderland’s box and Martin Odegaard delivers it into the box. It’s floated over to the back post where Lee Burge comes out to tap it behind for a corner.

The corner is whipped into the middle of the box and Rob Holding breaks off his marker to win the ball in the air. He sends a powerful header at goal but Burge leaps low to his right and keeps it out with a strong right hand. Unfortunately for Sunderland the ball bounces up nicely for Eddie Nketiah who knees it into the back of the net from close range!

Arsenal 0 - 0 Sunderland

20:00 , Michael Jones

15 mins: Close! An injection of pace on the left side sees the ball passed up to Smith Rowe who lays it off to Balogun before Tavares flies forward and drags the ball into the box. He attempts a cutback and the ball hits Embleton as he tries to clear it. Instead the ball loops up and drops onto the crossbar before bouncing kindly for Pepe. He rolls the ball onto his left foot but fires an effort high over the goal.

Arsenal 0 - 0 Sunderland

19:57 , Michael Jones

12 mins: Some nice passing work from Sunderland in the middle of the pitch allows Carl Winchester to get in behind Tavares on the right wing. The ball is threaded to him and he drives towards the Arsenal box. Nathan Broadhead makes a run in between the two centre-backs but Holding intercepts the ball as it’s passed into the box by Winchester.

Arsenal 0 - 0 Sunderland

19:55 , Michael Jones

9 mins: Smith Rowe intercepts a pass in the middle of the pitch and looks to carry the ball into the Sunderland final third. He works it up the pitch but is clipped by Wright and wins a free kick.

Rob Holding switches the play with a pass over to Pepe on the right wing. He brings the ball under control but there are no options for him in the box and instead he passes it inside before Arsenal retreat.

Arsenal 0 - 0 Sunderland

19:52 , Michael Jones

6 mins: Pepe makes a run in behind Lynden Gooch as Ben White fires a diagonal ball over to him. Pepe brings the ball down and sets off towards the penalty area but the offside flag goes up. There is no VAR tonight so the on field decisions from the officials are the ones that count.

Sunderland’s Alex Pritchard receives the ball on the edge of the Arsenal box, he takes it around a defender and gets off a shot but leaves Bernd Leno with a simple save.

Arsenal 0 - 0 Sunderland

19:48 , Michael Jones

3 mins: Folarin Balogun is given the ball on the left side for Arsenal and he drives up the inside channel towards the box. Nketiah makes a run into the area from a central position but Balogun loses possession on just outside the box thanks to a well-timed tackle from Bailey Wright.

Arsenal 0 - 0 Sunderland

19:46 , Michael Jones

Kick off: The Gunners get the match underway with a long ball over to Emile Smith Rowe on the left side. He knocks the ball to Eddie Nketiah who is closed down and forced to send the ball back to Nuno Tavares.

Arsenal vs Sunderland: Here come the teams

19:42 , Michael Jones

The players make their way out onto the pitch. Bailey Wright leads out the visitors with Rob Holding captaining the Gunners this evening. Can League One’s Sunderland shock Arsenal and the Carabao Cup semi-finals? Lets find out.

Arsenal vs Sunderland: Warm-ups over

19:38 , Michael Jones

The players have been warming up at the Emirates stadium ahead of kick off at 7:45pm. Sunderland have not lost a League Cup match since August 2018 when they went down 2-0 versus Sheffield Wednesday.

They have won six and drawn three of their nine games since, with both of their eliminations coming via penalty shootouts. Can they claim their biggest scalp over this campagin by beating Arsenal tonight?

Arsenal vs Sunderland: Can Sunderland reach the semis?

19:35 , Michael Jones

Sunderland are looking to reach the League Cup semi-finals for the first time since 2013-14.

The Black Cats have progressed from their last three League Cup ties away against London clubs, a run which started with a 3-2 win at Arsenal in November 2002.

Arsenal vs Sunderland: Arsenal won’t use Covid chaos as excuse for loss of form

19:32 , Michael Jones

Arsenal will not use the ongoing disruption caused by Covid as an excuse for any dip in form, according to manager Mikel Arteta.

The Gunners have been one of the clubs who have fared best amid the latest outbreak sweeping through the Premier League, decimating the fixture schedule along the way.

Their 4-1 win at Leeds was the only top-flight game to survive on Saturday as the victory ensured Arsenal would be in the top four at Christmas.

Arsenal won’t use Covid chaos as excuse for loss of form, Mikel Arteta insists

Arsenal vs Sunderland: Goals and cleansheets

19:28 , Michael Jones

Only Brentford (12) have scored more goals than Arsenal (11) in this season’s League Cup, with the Gunners also yet to concede this term.

They last had a longer run of goals scored without reply in the competition with a run of 15 between the 1987 final against Liverpool and their 1987-88 semi-final second leg tie against Everton.

Arsenal vs Sunderland: Head-to-head

19:25 , Michael Jones

Arsenal are unbeaten in their last 11 meetings with Sunderland - eight wins, three draws - since a 2-0 loss in the FA Cup fifth round in February 2012.

This is the first meeting between the sides since May 2017 which saw the Gunners triumph 2-0 in a Premier League encounter between the sides.

Arsenal vs Sunderland: Sunderland boss Lee Johnson has utmost respect for Arsenal despite ‘dad banter’

19:20 , Michael Jones

Sunderland boss Lee Johnson has admitted he would use his “dad banter” against him if he were Mikel Arteta.

Johnson takes his League One outfit to Arteta’s Arsenal in the Carabao Cup quarter-final on Tuesday having unwittingly incurred the wrath of a section of the Gunners fanbase with a tongue-in-cheek suggestion that he would be happy to face the North London club in the last eight.

Sunderland boss Lee Johnson has utmost respect for Arsenal despite ‘dad banter’

Arsenal vs Sunderland: Johnson on Arsenal

19:15 , Michael Jones

Lee Johnson is making forward to taking charge of Sunderland at the Emirates tonight despite making a joke at Arsenal’s expense after Sunderland beat QPR in the previous round.

After winning a penalty shootout against QPR, Johnson joked: “I’d love to have Arsenal away, or Tottenham away if not that [in the quarters]. And then we’ll wait for the really big guns when it’s two legs.”

Now Johnson can’t wait for this evening’s game and hopes the travelling Sunderland fans can create a good atmosphere. He said:

Arsenal vs Sunderland: Arsenal trio positive for Covid

19:10 , Michael Jones

There had been talk of Albert Sambi Lokonga, Pablo Mari and Calum Chambers potentially starting for the Gunners this evening but the club has confirmed that all three players miss out because they have tested positive for Covid-19.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles is another player though to be in contention tonight but he is out of the squad with an illness unrelated to Covid-19.

Arsenal vs Sunderland: Nketiah is great form

19:06 , Michael Jones

Eddie Nketiah has scored seven goals in eight league cup appearances for Arsenal including four goals in his last four appearances at the Emirates stadium.

Nketiah recently turned down a contract renewal to stay at Arsenal but whether he plans to stay or go the 22-year-old will want to impress tonight.

Arsenal vs Sunderland: Johnson on reaching quarter-finals

18:59 , Michael Jones

Sunderland boss, Lee Johnson, spoke about how he prioritised the Carabao Cup over other knockout competitions this season and says tonight’s game is an opportunity to put the club ‘back on the map’. Johnson siad:

Arsenal vs Sunderland: Team changes

18:54 , Michael Jones

Mikel Arteta sweeps in the changes as only Martin Odegaard and Ben White remain in the Arsenal starting XI from Saturday’s 4-1 victory over Leeds. Bernd Leno returns in goal with Cedric Soares, Rob Holding and Nuno Tavares filling out the defence. Alongside Odegaard is Mohamed Elneny, whilst Emile Smith Rowe, Nicolas Pepe, Eddie Nketiah and Folarin Balogun all start. Charlie Patino is the only new academy graduate to make the bench.

Lee Johnson makes two changes to his Sunderland team that lined-up against Ipswich Town on Saturday. Lee Burge replaces Ron-Thorben Hoffmann in goal with Elliot John Embleton in for the injured Leon Dajaku.

Arsenal vs Sunderland: Line-ups

18:47 , Michael Jones

Arsenal XI: Leno, Cedric, White, Holding, Tavares, Elneny, Odegaard, Smith Rowe, Pepe, Nketiah, Balogun

Sunderland XI: Burge, Winchester, Wright, Flanagan, Doyle, Gooch, Embleton, Neil, Pritchard, Broadhhead, Stewart

Arsenal vs Sunderland: When is the Carabao Cup semi-final draw? Time, TV channel and how to watch

18:40 , Michael Jones

The Carabao Cup semi-final draw takes place on Wednesday, with a new winner already guaranteed to be crowned in February.

Manchester City’s stranglehold on the trophy was finally broken after four years when Pep Guardiola’s side suffered a penalty shootout defeat against West Ham in the fourth round.

Sunderland are the lowest-ranked team left in the draw, with the League One side travelling to north London to take on Arsenal in Tuesday’s first quarter-final.

When is the Carabao Cup semi-final draw?

Arsenal vs Sunderland: Arteta on the Covid situation

18:34 , Michael Jones

In his pre-match press conference on Monday Arsenal boss, Mikel Arteta, spoke about the current situation in regards to Covid-19 and the possibility of having matches called off at a moments notice. He said:

Arsenal vs Sunderland: Gunners heavy favourites to progress

18:29 , Michael Jones

Mikel Arteta’s side are the heavy favourites to progress to the semi-finals despite the Arsenal manager taking this opportunity to rest some of his first choice players and to give experience to some of the youth team.

18-year-old academy graduate Charlie Patino is one of three young stars expected to make their senior debuts for the Gunners tonight.

Arsenal have progressed from 15 of their last 16 lague cup ties against teams from the third tier or lower with their only defeat coming against Bradford in the 2012/13 quarter-finals.

Arsenal vs Sunderland

18:21 , Michael Jones

Tonight’s match is the first of four Carabao Cup quarter-finals to be played over the next two nights. Tomorrow sees Tottenham take on West Ham, Brentford face Chelsea, and Liverpool welcome Leicester to Anfield.

Sunderland are the lowest ranked side left in the competition with the League One side the only non-Premier League club to make it this far.

Heach coach Lee Johnson confirmed in a pre-match press conference that Leon Dajaku will have an x-ray after picking up an injury against Ipswich Town and that there has been one positive test of Covid-19 for an unnamed player in the Sunderland squad.

Patino set to be involved for Arsenal

18:19 , Tom Kershaw

Charlie Patino is the next Arsenal academy graduate touted to follow in the footsteps of Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe. The 18-year-old midfielder is expected to make his senior debut tonight and has posted a picture of his matchday kit in the dressing room on Instagram.

Arteta heaps praise on Martinelli

18:04 , Tom Kershaw

Mikel Arteta heaped praise on Gabriel Martinelli in the build-up to tonight’s tie. After the commotion over Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang being stripped of the captaincy, the Brazilian has filled the void excellently and has scored four goals in his last six Premier League appearances.

“He (Martinelli) trains incredibly hard, he is always willing to do more and he is not scared or afraid to take risks - and that is what I like about him,” Arteta said.

“You cannot play every action at 100mph, it is impossible. It is not very efficient for you because you burn yourself out after a few minutes, and then you’re just chasing a situation and not reading exactly what is needed.

“Gabi is doing much better at that. We have to try to do that without losing the passion, the energy and this capacity he has to just affect the game with the way he acts on the pitch.

“Every time the ball is 50/50 he is going to chase it and he’s going to use his body, his speed, his technical ability to get away from you and you have to be careful, because he can attack you one v one, he can attack your back, he can make movements off the ball. He is a real threat in front of goal.

Arsenal host Sunderland in Carabao Cup quarter-finals

14:40 , Tom Kershaw

Welcome to The Independent’s live coverage as Arsenal host Sunderland in the Carabao Cup semi-finals.

Mikel Arteta’s side have been in fine form of late, with three successive Premier League victories propelling the Gunners into the top four. The Spaniard is likely to heavily rotate his line-up tonight, with the club’s focus firmly set on a return to European football, although the Carabao Cup still represents a good chance to win some silverware.

Arsenal have, at least in theory, benefitted from receiving the gentlest available draw, with Sunderland the lowest-ranked side left in the last-eight by a considerable margin. Lee Johnson’s side have now gone unbeaten in their last seven League One games, though, and will relish the chance to cause an upset at the Emirates.