The draw for the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup was made on Thursday evening following Tottenham’s 4-3 win over Manchester United.

After reaching the semi-finals for the fourth time in the last seven seasons, Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs side face defending champions Liverpool in the semi-final, with the first leg being played at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Arne Slot’s Reds beat Southampton 2-1 on Wednesday evening.

Newcastle, who beat Brentford 3-1 in the quarter-finals, face Arsenal, who beat Crystal Palace thanks to Gabriel Jesus’ hat-trick, in the first leg at the Emirates Stadium.

The draw leaves open the possibility of a north London derby final.

The Carabao Cup semi-finals will be played in two stages in the week commencing January 6th and the week commencing February 3rd.

Every game in this season’s competition can be watched live Sky Sports.

Arsenal’s match headache

Like many other teams fighting on all fronts, Arsenal’s commitments for January are not exactly positive. Eight games in three different competitions, and that’s before a date for the Carabao Cup semi-finals is set, making a total of nine games.

How Mikel Arteta deals with such a busy schedule could make or break their season. The new year begins with visits to Brentford And Brightonbefore a consecutive series of four home games, hosts Man Utd in the FA Cup, Tottenham in the North London derby, Aston Villa And Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League.

The month ends with trips to Wolves and finally Girona.

It is a strenuous program for a squad that is not yet blessed with particularly convincing strength in depth. The Gunners’ second team needed reinforcements from the bench – Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka – to see off Crystal Palace in the quarter-finals, and you suspect a similar XI without the two mentioned above wouldn’t have enough firepower to pull off March’s showpiece to reach.

Arteta needs to find the perfect balance to stay afloat.

Arsenal’s January games

• Brentford (a) – January 1st
• Brighton (a) – January 4th – Live on Sky Sports
• Newcastle (h) – w/h January 6 (Carabao Cup) – Live on Sky Sports
• Man Utd (h) – January 12 (FA Cup)
• Tottenham (h) – January 15th
• Aston Villa (h) – January 18th – Live on Sky Sports
• Dinamo Zagreb (h) – January 22nd (Champions League)
• Wolves (a) – January 25th
• Girona (a) – January 29 (Champions League)

Can Liverpool keep the momentum going in January?

Liverpool don’t have, on paper, the toughest January of Carabao Cup semi-finalists, but they are set for a trip there Brentford who are still unbeaten on home soil and hosts Man Utd – who have just won at the Etihad – in their first game of 2025.

Nottingham Forest There are no cups in the City Ground either. But there could also be some chances for a change – Accrington Stanley, Ipswich And Lille Head to Anfield for one final Champions League group game PSV It’s not the easiest, Liverpool could have already taken the lead in the first phase by then – and could have a few squad players to fall back on.

There’s also the small matter of rearranging a Merseyside derby – although in an already busy January that will probably have to wait until at least February.

Liverpool’s January games

• Man Utd (h) – January 5th – Live on Sky Sports
• Newcastle (a) – w/c January 6 (Carabao Cup) – Live on Sky Sports
• Accrington (h) – January 11 (FA Cup)
• Nottingham Forest (a) – January 14th
• Brentford (a) – January 18th
• Lille (h) – January 21st (Champions League)
• Ipswich (h) – January 25th
• PSV (a) – January 29 (Champions League)

Tottenham’s difficult run has already dragged on

Tottenham’s selection problems in key areas, particularly defensively, have not done much to help Postecoglou build upward momentum in north London and he now faces a tough January as the club look for their first title in 16 years.

Newcastle Visit London before what should be a routine trip Tamworth in the third round of the FA Cup, but then a derby with arsenalVisits to Everton And Hoffenheimand home games Leicester And Elfsborg Round out a busy month.

Tottenham’s January fixture list

• Newcastle (h) – January 4th
• Liverpool (h) – w/c January 6th (Carabao Cup) – Live on Sky Sports
• Tamworth (a) – 12 January (FA Cup)
• Arsenal (a) – January 15th
• Everton (h) – January 19 – Live on Sky Sports
• TSG Hoffenheim (a) – January 23rd (Europa League)
• Leicester (h) – January 26th
• IF Elfsborg (h) – January 30 (Europa League)

Freshness could give Newcastle the advantage

Unlike their semi-final rivals, Newcastle have no European football to contend with in January, which could be the slight advantage Eddie Howe wants to exploit over the other three teams.

Even after their first leg trip arsenalIt is Bromleyfrom Sky Bet League Two, at home in the FA Cup at St James’ Park, meaning Howe can rotate accordingly if required. Home games in the Premier League against Wolves And Bournemouth consequences. It could be much worse.

Newcastle’s January games

• Tottenham (a) – January 4th
• Arsenal (a) – w/c January 6 (Carabao Cup) – Live on Sky Sports
• Bromley (h) – January 12 (FA Cup)
• Wolves (h) – January 15th
• Bournemouth (h) – January 18th
• Southampton (a) – January 25th