Liverpool hold off Southampton fightback after Núñez and Elliott strikes

Holders Liverpool secured their place in the League Cup semi-finals with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Southampton on a challenging night at St Mary's Stadium on Wednesday. Battling wet and windy conditions, Liverpool's goals came courtesy of Darwin Nunez and Harvey Elliott, whose strikes proved too much for the home side, despite a spirited response from Cameron Archer.

Nunez, under the spotlight after an earlier glaring miss, silenced the home fans in the 24th minute. The forward capitalized on a defensive error by Southampton's Jan Bednarek, who mis-kicked inside his own box. Nunez remained composed, slotting the ball past goalkeeper Alex McCarthy and promptly putting his finger to his lips to hush the Saints supporters who had jeered him moments before. Liverpool extended their advantage eight minutes later, with Elliott receiving a pass from Cody Gakpo and driving a powerful low shot into the net. The Reds' control seemed unshakeable until Archer reignited Southampton's hopes with a curling shot from the edge of the box in the 59th minute. However, Liverpool held firm to advance to the semi-finals.

Elsewhere, Arsenal mounted a thrilling second-half comeback to defeat Crystal Palace 3-2 at Selhurst Park. The Gunners were caught off guard in the fourth minute when Jean-Philippe Mateta shrugged off defender Jakub Kiwior, collecting a long ball and calmly slotting past goalkeeper David Raya. Arsenal struggled to find their rhythm in the first half, but a revitalized performance after the break turned the game on its head. Gabriel Jesus starred with a scintillating second-half hat-trick, starting with a 54th-minute equalizer. Martin Odegaard split Palace's defense with a sublime through ball, allowing Jesus to chip the ball delicately over Palace keeper Dean Henderson.

Jesus struck again in the 73rd minute, latching onto a precise pass from Bukayo Saka before hammering the ball home. The Brazilian completed his treble just eight minutes later, darting behind the defense to collect another brilliant Odegaard pass and firing past Henderson. Palace managed a late response through Eddie Nketiah, who soared to head home a consolation goal, but it was not enough to deny Arsenal their victory.

At St James' Park, Newcastle cruised to a 3-1 win over Brentford, inspired by Sandro Tonali's first goals since his return from a 10-month suspension for betting violations. Tonali wasted no time making his mark, firing a thunderous 20-yard strike into the top corner in the ninth minute after Nathan Collins' clearance fell into his path. He added a second just before halftime, volleying Anthony Gordon's pinpoint cross from near the penalty spot. Newcastle sealed the win in the 69th minute when Bruno Guimaraes set up Fabian Schar for a simple tap-in. Brentford's lone goal came late, but Newcastle's dominance ensured they secured all three points.

The quarter-finals provided high drama, standout performances, and plenty of goals, setting the stage for an exciting semi-final round.