Carabao Cup: Liverpool beat Leicester on penalties; win for Chelsea
Liverpool produced a dramatic turnaround to stun Leicester City and reach the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup. Liverpool found themselves two goals down early on and went into half-time trailing 3-1. However, they found a way back with Diogo Jota cutting the deficit before Takumi Minamino scoring a 95th-minute equalizer. Liverpool won on penalties. Meanwhile, Chelsea beat Brentford 2-0 to go through.
- There was plenty of drama as Liverpool found a way back to overcome Leicester.
- Liverpool, who were without several top players, hung in there and found a way back just when Leicester looked like progressing at their expense.
- They carried the momentum into the penalty shoot-out and edged past Leicester (5-4).
- Liverpool will face Arsenal in the semis.
Minamino has scored four goals for the Reds in the Carabao Cup this season (highest). Jota has now scored in six of his last eight games for the Reds in all competitions, including in three successive matches. As per Squawka Football, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has scored his first goal for Liverpool since May. He had last scored in the Reds' 3-0 win away to Burnley.
Takumi Minamino becomes the first player since Vladimir Smicer in 2000-01 to score for the club in 3 successive League Cup games.
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 22, 2021
He loves the @Carabao_Cup 😍 pic.twitter.com/C8ojIc1C5O
Leicester forward Jamie Vardy netted a double in quick succession to put Leicester ahead. Oxlade-Chamberlain's goal saw Liverpool halve the deficit before James Maddison's strike gave the Foxes a comfortable advantage over a second-string home team. Jota came on from the bench and scored to make it 3-2 before Minamino hammered a late goal. In the shootout, Liverpool edged past the Foxes.
Vardy has raced to 11 goals for Leicester in all competitions this season (21 matches). He has now hit double digits in terms of goals in seven successive seasons for Leicester. He has 158 goals in 373 matches for the club.
Chelsea have reached their third major semi-final in just 11 months under Thomas Tuchel. The Blues netted two late goals to overcome Brentford. An own goal by Pontus Jansson put Chelsea ahead in the 80th minute before Jorginho's penalty. Chelsea have reached their first semi-final in the competition for three years. Tuchel will be happy given his side are missing several first-team players.
