Manchester City and Liverpool reached the quarter-finals of the League Cup after dramatic penalty shootouts, while Bournemouth and Sunderland advanced with convincing wins. There were 15 goals scored in the five matches on Wednesday night, with three of those games ending by one goal or less.
Ruli saves City, but Brighton regret
Treasurers Manchester City beat Brighton 4-3 on penalties after a 2-2 draw in regulation. Geronimo Rulli, making only his second start for the club, saved shots from Yacine Ayari and Lewis Dunk. Ryan Sherkey converted the winning penalty.
“We had enough chances to win this game. The goals we conceded were very unfortunate“, said Brighton manager Fabian Hürzeler. He added that the team will have the opportunity to get revenge in their next match against City.
Enzo Maresca defended his decision to make significant changes to his squad. “I was very pleased with the way we planned the game and the players who started“, said the City manager. His team will face Bradford in the quarter-finals.
Liverpool beat Chelsea on penalties again
Liverpool beat Chelsea 6-5 on penalties after a 1-1 draw at Anfield. Thus, the Merseysiders continued their unpleasant streak for the Londoners – Chelsea have now lost five consecutive penalty shootouts against Liverpool in different competitions. Wesley Fofana sent his decisive shot over the bar.
Morgan Rodgers gave Chelsea the lead from the penalty spot, and Cody Gakpo equalized for the hosts also from the penalty spot. Chelsea goalkeeper Mike Penders made important saves, but Liverpool took advantage of their greater confidence at the end of the series.
Chelsea coach Xabi Alonso described the elimination as a “bitter way to leave the tournament“, but stressed that his team showed a good level at “Anfield”. In the quarter-finals, Liverpool will play Bournemouth – the former club of his current manager Andoni Iraola.
Bournemouth and Sunderland enter the last eight
Bournemouth won 3-0 against Aston Villa and recorded a fifth consecutive victory in all competitions. Amin Adli opened the scoring, captain Lewis Cook doubled after a mistake by goalkeeper Marco Bizot, and Alvaro Rodriguez shaped the final score. For Villa, it was their first defeat in seven games without defeat.
Sunderland reached the quarter-finals after a 3-2 win against Brentford. The hosts scored three times in 13 minutes through Chemsdin Talbi, Timur Tutieorov and Malik Fofana. Brentford reduced the deficit through Callum Wilson and Igor Thiago, but failed to reach extra time.
„I am very happy. "It was tough but I waited for my moment," said Fofana, who scored his first goal for Sunderland. Sunderland next host Crystal Palace.
The quarter-finals are scheduled for the week commencing December 14. The remaining fourth-round match between Everton and Newcastle will determine Fleetwood's opponent.
Sources: skysports.com, theguardian.com