Takumi Minamino spurned a glorious chance to give Liverpool the advantage over Arsenal towards the end of Thursday night’s Carabao Cup semi-final first leg at Anfield.The Japan international looked certain to score when the ball fell kindly to him in the 90th minute.Minamino was 10 yards from goal while Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale was off his line after coming for a cross. All the attacking midfielder needed to do was slot the ball past Ben White for an easy tap-in.But the 26-year-old fluffed his lines at the worst possible moment.With the ball bouncing, Minamino lacked the required composure in that situation and ended up blazing high over the crossbar.
Video: Takumi Minamino's miss vs Arsenal
Watch the footage here:
Oh, Taki. What a miss.
The reaction of his Liverpool teammates said it all.
'How do I tell my kids Minamino missed from here?'
They couldn’t believe that such a gilt-edged opportunity had been missed and neither could football fans on social media:
Ben White's reaction to Minamino's miss
Arsenal defender White, who joined the Gunners in a £50 million deal from Brighton last summer, produced a talismanic performance for the visitors.
A photo taken moments after Minamino’s miss shows the England international certainly enjoyed watching the ball fly into The Kop.
Will Liverpool still reach the Carabao Cup final?
Minamino has blown hot and cold for Liverpool since joining the Merseyside outfit from Red Bull Salzburg in January 2020.
While Liverpool fans have seen flashes of quality from the £7.25 million signing, they’re yet to see him perform consistently at Anfield.
Minamino, who spent time on loan at Southampton last season, will now be desperately hoping that he gets the opportunity to make amends for that missed chance when Liverpool travel to Arsenal for the second leg next Thursday.
Ahead of that match, Jurgen Klopp’s side take on Brentford in the Premier League this Sunday.
