The result didn't really matter for Arsenal on Wednesday but the performance does. The Carabao Cup was never going to define the Gunners' season, yet a dreadful 3-1 defeat at West Ham raises questions that will linger beyond their fourth-round exit.
Before this game, Mikel Arteta tasked his players with showing the mindset required to maintain a high level impervious to switching competitions. It was a challenge they unequivocally failed, turning in arguably their worst performance of the season and triggering doubts about the competitions they do care about.
Man United's start to the season has been full of damaging defeats, but this was a contender for worst of the lot. Four days after their capitulation against neighbours Manchester City, Newcastle inflicted a second consecutive home loss to knock Ten Hag's team out of the Carabao Cup.
Newcastle humbled last year's winners 3-0 at Old Trafford on Wednesday and will now take on a struggling Chelsea side after they got a much-needed win over Blackburn Rovers.
West Ham should travel to Anfield full of confidence, after they comfortably dispatched Arsenal 3-1 at the London Stadium.
Only three of the remaining eight teams -- Liverpool, five-time winners Chelsea and 2004 winners Middlesbrough -- have ever lifted the League Cup trophy before.
Port Vale are in the quarterfinals for the first time in their history after beating League Two Mansfield Town 1-0 on Tuesday.
Before Odegaard, Saka and Martinelli came on, Declan Rice made his first appearance at London Stadium since leaving the Hammers for £105 million in the summer. A mixture of boos and applause greeted his return and those disparaging their former captain revelled in the lack of impact Rice and his more vaunted colleagues made.
"Maybe we are becoming quite a good cup team," said West Ham boss David Moyes. "I want to be a really good league team if I can be. But, if I can't quite do that, then I have to do well in the cups if we can."
Arsenal have proved themselves a "really good league team" under Arteta. But to maintain and improve that reputation, nights like this have to be left behind quickly
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