Arsenal booked their spot in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup after thrashing League One side Sunderland 5-1 on Tuesday evening.
Result: Arsenal 5-1 Sunderland
Date: 21 December 2021
Venue: Emirates Stadium
The Gunners made wholesale changes to the side that thrashed Leeds United, with only Ben White and Martin Odegaard retaining their places but they still had a good attack, with the likes of Emile Smith Rowe, Nicolas Pepe and Eddie Nketiah starting.
The game was open from the start and Arsenal took the lead in the 17th minute after Nketiah fired home a close-range rebound after goalkeeper Lee Burge parried Rob Holding's header on his path.
Mikel Arteta's charges doubled their lead ten minutes later after Pepe combined with Cedric Soares and smashed a deflected strike in the centre of the box that found the roof of the net.
Sunderland were threatening and they eventually pulled a goal back just before the half-hour mark after Nathan Broadhead went through on goal from Elliot Embleton's defence-splitting pass and clipped a strike over shot-stopper Bernd Leno in a one-on-one, as the visitors went to the half-time break with hopes of a comeback.
However, Nketiah restored a two-goal cushion for the Gunners four minutes from the half-time break and got his brace with another close-range finish at the near post after a cross by Nuno Tavares.
Nketiah made it 4-1 for Arsenal and completed his hat-trick just before the hour-mark with an audacious back-heel in the six-yard box after a low cross by Pepe.
Arteta made a double change 17 minutes before time, as Gabriel replaced Ben White for fresh legs at the back and Gabriel Martinelli came on for Odegaard for the same reason upfront.
Charlie Patino rounded off the thrashing for Arsenal in stoppage time with a first-time strike from Pepe's cross, as the Gunners cruised to the semi-finals for the first time in four years.
