Jarell Quansah ‘fortunate’ after ‘ridiculously reckless’ Carabao Cup ultimate deal with
Jarell Quansah was branded ‘lucky’ after the makeshift Liverpool right-back wasn’t punished after he flew into a challenge in the opening stages of the Carabao Cup final
Liverpool’s makeshift right-back Jarell Quansah was branded ‘lucky’ after he avoided punishment for a reckless challenge in the Carabao Cup final.
Due to Liverpool’s injury problems on the right-hand side of defence, with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Conor Bradley both ruled out of the final through injury, Quansah was deployed in an unfamiliar role.
The 22-year-old is more familiar at centre-back but found himself one-on-one with Newcastle winger Harvey Barnes, who started in the absence of the suspended Anthony Gordon.
In the opening stages of the cup, Quansah flew into a tackle on Tino Livramento after the full-back had taken a heavy touch. Quansah smashed the ball away cleanly, but his momentum took both his feet off the ground, with Livramento luckily out of harm’s way.
However, the tackle was described as “clumsy” by Gary Neville on commentary, while fans took to X to slam the tackle and the lack of punishment, with a foul not even given.
One user wrote: “Not even a booking for Quansah for that challenge?” A second echoed: “Quansah is lucky to get away with that. Full power in that kick and then his studs slip up into his shin. Very very fortunate.” While a third added: “Ridiculously reckless from Quansah, lucky they didn’t review that.”
Arne Slot had very little alternative than to start Quansah at right-back due to the current injury problems the Reds are contending with. The Dutchman was asked about the impact Alexander-Arnold’s absence ahead of the final, where he said: “I don’t think it means that much difference in the way the formation is or how we want to do build up.
“But it definitely is different if you have Trent [Alexander-Arnold] who can play the ball wherever he wants to or you have Jarell [Quansah],” Slot told Sky Sports before kick-off.
“But Jarell brings other qualities to the game as well. He is very good in set pieces. Every individual brings his own qualities but we are not going to play a completely different style because we miss out on one player in one position.”
