The EFL Cup semi-final draw has been completed as the four English teams discover their fates.
Liverpool will face Fulham in the final four after they crushed West Ham United 5-1 on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Chelsea will take on Middlesbrough in the other Carabao Cup semi-final tie. The Blues beat Newcastle United on penalties to make it thus far in the competition.
Golden opportunity for Liverpool
The Reds cruised to victory against West Ham United in the EFL Cup quarter-finals.
Dominik Szoboszlai scored a stunning goal to put his side in control in the first-half. Instead of attempting to preserve their lead, Jurgen Klopp’s men were even more aggressive after the restart.
In a breathtaking attacking display, Curtis Jones bagged a brace while Mohammed Salah and Cody Gakpo also earned their names on the scoresheet.
Jarrod Bowen pulled one back but that was no consolation for the visitors who ultimately lost 5-1 at Anfield.
Liverpool are the most successful team in the history of the EFL Cup, having lifted nine trophies. Their most recent success in the domestic competition came in 2022 when they edged Chelsea on penalties in the final.
They now have a golden opportunity to add another trophy with Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United all out of the tournament.
Success in the EFL Cup will lift the mood at Stamford Bridge
Fans were expecting an improvement in their fortunes when Mauricio Pochettino took over the club as manager in the summer.
But that hasn’t been the case so far, with the Blues failing to deliver consistent performances.
The West Londonders are currently languishing 10th in the Premier League standings, with 22 points from their opening 17 matches.
They will have to make a big comeback during the second-half of the campaign to get back in contention for the top-four.
Pochettino will be bidding to win the Carabao Cup to lift the mood at Stamford Bridge.
They were not very convincing in their victory against Newcastle United on Tuesday, but their resilience paid off for them.
Callum Wilson scored against the run of play early in the first-half to put the visitors in control.
The Magpies sought to preserve that lead and frustrated the Blues’ attackers by remaining in a low block.
However, Kieran Trippier’s error allowed Mykhailo Mudryk to equalise in stoppage-time.
Trippier also missed his spot-kick in the shootouts as Chelsea prevailed on penalties to qualify for the EFL Cup semi-finals.
