Agency :
A much-changed Chelsea side featuring three teenaged debutants beat Brentford 2-0 on Wednesday to reach the League Cup semi-finals where they will face London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
An own goal 10 minutes from time by Pontus Jansson broke the deadlock at Brentford before a Jorginho penalty sealed victory for Thomas Tuchel’s Covid-19-hit side.
In a thriller at Anfield, a weakened Liverpool side came back from the brink to beat Leicester City on penalties after a 3-3 draw, setting up a semi-final against Arsenal.
Jamie Vardy’s early double gave Leicester a 2-0 lead and James Maddison’s rocket shot made it 3-1 after Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain had pulled a goal back.
But Diogo Jota struck in the 68th minute before Takumi Minamino levelled in the sixth minute of stoppage time.
Minamino then spurned a chance to send Liverpool through in the ensuing penalty shoot-out as he blazed his effort over the bar. But Liverpool keeper Caoimhin Kelleher then saved Ryan Bertrand’s effort, his second save of the shoot-out, before Jota converted to win it for Liverpool.
Antonio Conte’s Tottenham, runners-up to Manchester City last season, made it through to the semis with a 2-1 home win against West Ham United – all the goals arriving in a five-minute spell in the first half.
Steven Bergwijn slotted in from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s cut back for his first goal of the season but West Ham levelled through Jarrod Bowen’s well-taken goal.
Bergwijn then set up Lucas Moura for the winner.
Arsenal beat third-tier Sunderland on Tuesday.
“It’s good for Tottenham to reach the semi-finals of this competition,” Conte, who has changed the mood at Tottenham since taking over, said.
“You can see the names of these teams that have reached the semi-finals – Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal with us – so every side wants to try to lift this trophy. Now I’m seeing in England to win a trophy is very difficult.”
Considering the strain on their respective squads, the night’s ties offered full value for the fans.
