Liverpool beat Chelsea on penalties to enter Carabao Cup QF
New Delhi: Liverpool beat Chelsea 6-5 on penalties to book a place in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals at Anfield, with Xabi Alonso’s return to Anfield ending in disappointment for the Spaniard.
In a tight encounter, the two teams had traded goals from the spot in normal time, with Morgan Rogers’ opener cancelled out by Cody Gakpo’s finish in the final five minutes of the first half as the scoreline eventually finished 1-1.
However, it was the Reds who would ultimately prevail in front of the Kop, with Joe Gomez’s successful effort followed by a miss from Wesley Fofana to determine the outcome.
Liverpool have won the last three Carabao Cup meetings between the two sides. Andoni Iraola’s men will take on AFC Bournemouth in the last eight.
Elsewhere, Bournemouth eased into the quarter-finals courtesy of a resounding 3-0 victory over five-time winners Aston Villa at Vitality Stadium.
Amine Adli started the ball rolling with a neat finish in the seventh minute, the Cherries going on to dominate the first half but without adding to their lead.
However, that all changed when Lewis Cook doubled their advantage six minutes into the second half, his first goal in two years and two months.
Alvaro Rodriguez completed the scoring in the 69th minute, the young striker finishing clinically after being set up by Tyler Adams.
The win booked Marco Rose’s team a place in the last eight for the fourth time in their history and completed a memorable treble with Villa following AC Milan and Manchester United as three former champions of Europe to taste defeat at the hands of the Cherries.
In another match, Eddie Nketiah’s instinctive first-half finish helped Crystal Palace make it five straight wins at Craven Cottage – and reach the Carabao Cup quarter-finals for a third season in a row, a first for the club.
The Eagles’ tremendous record away at Fulham continued in a game in which their defensive resilience was often tested but – thanks to Nketiah’s delightful near-post run and flick, and a hard-fought but well-earned clean sheet – ended in a valuable victory.
The Eagles will face Sunderland at Selhurst Park in the last eight, having reached this stage of the competition for a club-record third consecutive season.
Sunderland put their poor league start behind them with an impressive 3-2 win over Brentford at the Stadium of Light. Three first-half goals for the Black Cats took the tie out of sight, with Igor Thiago’s late strike adding to Callum Wilson’s consolation just before the break.