Season start for Nasri

Arsenal midfielder Samir Nasri made his first start of the season and Alberto Aquilani was on the bench for Liverpool in the Carling Cup fourth-round clash at the Emirates Stadium.

It was Nasri’s first appearance of the campaign after suffering a fractured leg, while Aquilani had not featured since his £20m arrival from Roma in the summer.

Arsene Wenger made 11 changes from the side that drew at West Ham, with Eduardo and Nicklas Bendtner starting for the hosts and Aaron Ramsey in midfield.

Only Dirk Kuyt remained from the Liverpool that defeated Manchester United on Sunday.

Arsenal: Fabianski, Gilbert, Senderos, Silvestre, Gibbs, Eastmond, Bendtner, Nasri, Ramsey, Merida, Eduardo. Subs: Szczesny, Bartley, Coquelin, Frimpong, Randall, Sunu, Watt.

Liverpool: Cavalieri, Degen, Skrtel, Kyrgiakos, Insua, Kuyt, Spearing, Plessis, Babel, Voronin, Ngog. Subs: Reina, Aquilani, Benayoun, Darby, Dossena, Eccleston, Ayala.

Referee: Alan Wiley (Staffordshire)