League Cup wrap: Liverpool rally at West Brom, Arsenal cruise

Liverpool have won their first game against a Premier League rival this season, recovering to beat West Bromwich Albion in the League Cup.

While Arsenal had few problems advancing to the fourth round of the League Cup, smashing Coventry City 6-1, Liverpool had to wait until the 82nd minute to go 2-1 in front away to West Brom.

The home side led after just two minutes when Liverpool goalkeeper Brad Jones came off his line and leapt high to catch a free-kick, only to drop the ball and see West Brom defender Gabriel Tamas slot home.

Another goalkeeping error was the cause of Liverpool’s equaliser, with West Brom’s Ben Foster letting Nuri Sahin’s long-range shot slip under him in the 17th minute.

Liverpool have yet to win in the Premier League this season, ensuring a tough start for new manager Brendan Rodgers, but the former Swansea coach will have been thrilled with how his team created the goal that finished West Brom off.

A flowing passing move that involved a driving run from Suso and a clever cross from Ousama Assaidi ended with Sahin bursting into the box and chipping Foster to put Liverpool ahead with eight minutes left in the game.

In London, Theo Walcott scored twice as Arsenal cruised past League One club Coventry.

Olivier Giroud scored his first goal for Arsenal to start the rout in the 39th minute before Arsene Wenger’s side piled on five goals to one in the second half.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Andrei Arshavin and Miquel were the other goal-scorers with Walcott providing the fourth and sixth goals, while Callum Ball scored for Coventry in the 78th minute to make it 4-1 for just two minutes.

Manchester United held on for a 2-1 victory against Newcastle United, with Papiss Cisse giving the visitors some hope with half an hour to go, although Anderson and Tom Cleverley’s goals were eventually enough for Alex Ferguson’s side to win the third-round tie.

In other League Cup results, Reading came from behind to defeat Queens Park Rangers 3-2, Norwich City won 1-0 over Doncaster Rovers and Tottenham Hotspur cruised past Carlisle United 3-0 away from.