Carabao Cup: High Energy Affairs Provide Intriguing Semi Finals

Michael Carrick's side may not be in the race for promotion in the Championship this season, but they do have the opportunity to repeat their heroics from 2004 and reaching the EFL cup final, which they proceeded to win 2-1 against Bolton at the Millennium Stadium. Cruising past Port Vale on Tuesday night, Chelsea was perhaps the side that Boro would most have fancied out of the three remaining. 

Speaking of Chelsea, it took two calamitous errors from Kieran Trippier to gift the Blues a spot in the Carabao Cup semi-finals at Newcastle United's expense. Mauricio Pochettino will be especially motivated to win the competition this year, to secure not only his first piece of silverware across his career stints in England, but to also salvage some form of European football for a Chelsea side who look to once again be languishing in the midtable of the Premier League this season.

Fulham meanwhile benefitted from a terrible penalty from Amadou Onana to pull of the upset against the in-form Everton at Goodison Park. Marco Silva is proving himself to be quite adept at progressing far in cup competitions, as last season his FA Cup run was ended in dramatic fashion at Old Trafford in a game many believed he would win. 

With neither Manchester club, Arsenal, Tottenham or Newcastle left in the competition, Liverpool head into the semi-finals as the clear favourite to win the cup. The Reds produced a five star performance to beat a subpar West Ham side 5-1 at Anfield. With one eye on the title race, it will be fascinating to see how Klopp selects his side for the Fulham game, not looking to underestimate his opponents after their 4-3 thriller at the beginning of December.

Should both Chelsea and Liverpool progress from their respective semi-finals, then we will see a direct rematch of the 2022 final, which Liverpool notably won on penalties after Kepa Arrizabalaga's final spot kick was shot well over the bar. Chelsea will have confidence that they can rely upon the pen specialist Petrovic should it once again come down to penalties.