By Milcah Tanimu
Alex Iwobi made an impressive start for Fulham, scoring on his full debut as Marco Silva’s team defeated Norwich City to advance to the Carabao Cup fourth round.
Fulham’s Brazilian striker, Carlos Vinicius, opened the scoring in the first half at Craven Cottage with a close-range finish from a free-kick delivered by Willian, marking his second goal in three games.
Vinicius nearly doubled Fulham’s lead just before halftime, but his first-time shot from a pass by Fode Ballo-Toure narrowly missed the target.
In the second half, Fulham displayed a fluid team move, culminating in Alex Iwobi’s goal in the 72nd minute. Iwobi calmly slotted the ball into the bottom corner after receiving a lay-off from Harry Wilson.
Despite Norwich having more shots on target, they could only reduce the deficit through a debut goal from Borja Sainz. However, the Championship side was unable to find an equalizer to force a penalty shootout.
“Nicolas Jackson Secures Chelsea’s Carabao Cup Fourth-Round Spot”
A goal by Nicolas Jackson was the decider as Chelsea overcame a tough battle against Brighton to secure a place in the Carabao Cup fourth round at Stamford Bridge.
The match carried extra significance due to the recent transfers of 10 staff members from Brighton to Chelsea for a combined fee of approximately £200 million.
Jackson’s winning goal came in the 50th minute after an excellent build-up play. Cole Palmer, making an impressive first start, provided the assist by threading the ball through Jan Paul van Hecke’s legs for Jackson to calmly slot home into the bottom corner.
Brighton had a late opportunity to level the score when Solly March found himself unmarked, but his header was straight at former Seagulls goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.
This goal marked Chelsea’s first in four matches and offered a much-needed victory as manager Mauricio Pochettino looks to steer the team in the right direction.
“Aaron Ramsdale Shines as Arsenal Progress in Carabao Cup”
Aaron Ramsdale returned to the Arsenal starting lineup, and his standout performance helped the Gunners advance to the Carabao Cup fourth round at the expense of Brentford.
Reiss Nelson scored the decisive goal for Arsenal just eight minutes into the match, taking advantage of a poor back-pass.
Ramsdale, who had been replaced by David Raya in the previous three games, made a crucial save in the second half to deny Yoane Wissa.
Brentford struggled to create opportunities in the first half, failing to register a shot on goal. However, they improved in the second half, and Ramsdale showcased his skills with an excellent save that pushed Wissa’s shot onto the post before the rebound was cleared.
Ramsdale’s return to the lineup made a significant impact as Arsenal secured their place in the next round of the competition.
“Liverpool Come from Behind to Beat Leicester in Carabao Cup Thriller”
Liverpool produced a remarkable comeback in the Carabao Cup third round, overturning an early deficit to defeat Leicester City.
Kasey McAteer gave Leicester the lead within three minutes as they capitalized on a counter-attack against the Premier League hosts.
Liverpool fought hard for an equalizer and finally found it shortly after halftime when Cody Gakpo’s well-taken finish leveled the score, despite Conor Coady’s goal-line clearance attempt.
The highlight of the match came when Dominik Szoboszlai, introduced as a second-half substitute, unleashed an unstoppable shot that hit the crossbar and went in, putting Liverpool ahead.
Liverpool’s thrilling comeback secured their place in the next round of the Carabao Cup.
