Carabao Cup draw LIVE: Semi-final ties revealed as Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham join Arsenal
Follow the draw live at the conclusion of tonight’s three remaining quarter-final ties
Liverpool fought back against Leicester to win 5-4 on penalties and reach the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup in incredible fashion.
Second-choice goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher saved two penalties in the shoot-out as Liverpool, joint record winners in the competition with eight, reached their 18th League Cup semi.
Substitute Diogo Jota struck the winning spot-kick - having come off the bench to score - but the real hero was Takumi Minamino who made it 3-3 with seconds remaining of six added minutes.
Tottenham boosted hopes of ending a 14-year trophy drought by edging out West Ham 2-1 to make the last four.
Spurs’ last silverware came in this competition in 2008 and Steven Bergwijn combined with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg to fire them ahead after 29 minutes.
Tottenham’s lead only lasted three minutes as Eric Dier’s poor clearance gave Nikola Vlasic possession in a dangerous area. Vlasic’s shot fell to Jarrod Bowen whose brilliant control and drag back gave him the space to beat Dier and equalise with a low shot. Parity lasted just two minutes, however, as Lucas Moura netted the decisive goal for Spurs from Bergwijn’s pull-back.
Chelsea scored twice late on to beat west London neighbours Brentford 2-0.
Bees defender Pontus Jansson put through his own goal 10 minutes from time to give Chelsea the lead. The Blues secured safe passage into their first semi-final in the competition for three years five minutes later. Christian Pulisic was brought down by Alvaro Fernandez and substitute Jorginho tucked away the penalty with ease.
GOAL! Liverpool 0 - 2 Leicester (Vardy, 13’)⚽️
13 mins: It’s the perfect start for Leicester! Again Liverpool cause their own problems by giving the ball away, Neco Williams is the culprit this time on the right side as his pass into midfield comes to Dewsbury-Hall. He in turn fires a lovely pass up to Daka who brings the ball into the box and draws Billy Koumetio out of position. Vardy runs into the vacant space in the penalty area, waits for the ball to be squared by Daka and then taps it home! 2-0 to Leicester.
GOAL! Liverpool 0 - 1 Leicester (Vardy, 9’)⚽️
9 mins: Jamie Vardy gives Leicester the lead! Liverpool clear a throw in into their own box and attempt to attack on the counter. Tsimikas drives forward down the left before knocking the ball inside and giving it to Boubakary Soumare. He sends it quickly up to James Maddison who threads the ball into the right side of the box matching Vardy’s run. Vardy collects the ball, sends it back across the area and despite Kelleher getting a hand to it, the ball nestles in the back of the net!
Liverpool 0 - 0 Leicester
6 mins: Save! Joe Gomez makes a mistake with a loose pass into the Leicester half that is intercepted by Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. He quickly threads a forward ball in between the Liverpool centre-backs and plays Patson Daka into the box. Daka carries the ball to the left side of the area and blasts a shot towards the near post where Caoimhin Kelleher palms the ball behind with an outstretched right hand!
Liverpool 0 - 0 Leicester
3 mins: Liverpool win the ball and sweep up the pitch. Takumi Minamino takes is down the inside left channel and brings the ball into the box before firing off a right footed shot. Leicester have plenty of men back and the effort is blocked in the box and booted out as far as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. He attempts to find some space on the left wing but is tackled by Ricardo Pereira.
Liverpool 0 - 0 Leicester
Kick off: Both teams take the knee before Leicester get the match underway. A long ball comes over to the left wing where Leicester recover the ball. They work it across the pitch and win a free kick as Kostas Tsimikas is punished for a foul.
Liverpool vs Leicester
Here come the teams. Both sets of fans get a big round of applause as they head onto the pitch. This should be a good game, on paper Leicester have the stronger side but this is Anfield and Liverpool won’t want to lose here.
Liverpool vs Leicester: Brendan Rodgers returns to Anfield in need of a spark to brighten Leicester’s grim winter
Even without the wave of Omicron sweeping through the country, it is unlikely that Jurgen Klopp would select anywhere near his strongest side for Liverpool’s Carabao Cup quarter-final against Leicester City tonight. The competition is low down on the German’s priorities.
Just don’t mention the words ‘weakened team’ around the Kop when Brendan Rodgers is in town. One of the 48-year-old’s lowest points during his tenure at Anfield came from a decision to field a substandard XI.
In Rodgers’ infamous case it was not in either of the domestic cups. It was in the Champions League. Against Real Madrid. In the Bernabeu.
Brendan Rodgers returns to Anfield in need of a spark to brighten grim winter
Leicester have endured a difficult and inconsistent first half of the season
Liverpool vs Leicester
This season, Liverpool have lost only one of the six games in which they have conceded the first goal.
The Reds are unbeaten in their last 14 fixtures played on this date - with 11 wins and three draws - since a 2-0 loss at Cardiff City in 1923.
Liverpool vs Leicester
Takumi Minamino starts for Liverpool tonight. The Japanese winger has scored five goals in four League Cup appearances for Liverpool.
Liverpool vs Leicester
Liverpool have won the League Cup eight times - is the joint most with Manchester City.
The Reds beat the Foxes in the last League Cup clash between the teams at Anfield 4-1, with Steve McMahon’s hat-trick and a goal from Kenny Dalglish earning a comfortable third-round victory in 1986.
The clubs have met only once before in the last eight of a domestic cup competition, Roger Hunt scoring as the Reds won an FA Cup replay 1-0 on their way to winning the competition for the first time in 1965.
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