Reds come from two goals down to make entry into semi-finals through penalties
\n LIVERPOOL
\nLiverpool came from two goals down to beat Leicester on penalties after a pulsating League Cup quarter-final ended 3-3 at Anfield as Tottenham and Chelsea also made the semi-finals on Wednesday.
\nSpurs were 2-1 winners over West Ham and will face Chelsea in the last four after they needed two late goals to see off Brentford 2-0.
\nLiverpool will take on Arsenal in the semi-finals over two legs in January.
\nAll three matches went ahead in front of full crowds despite the worrying rise of coronavirus case numbers that had seen last weekend\u2019s Premier League schedule decimated by call offs.
\nLeicester\u2019s previous two fixtures had been called off due to a combination of a coronavirus outbreak in the squad and a mounting injury list.
\nHowever, Brendan Rodgers was able to name a close to full strength side on his return to Anfield and it showed early on against a much-changed Liverpool.
\nJamie Vardy struck twice inside the first 13 minutes as he angled a drive across Caoimhin Kelleher and then tapped in Patson Daka\u2019s pass from close range.
\nJurgen Klopp had made 10 changes from the side that drew 2-2 at Tottenham on Sunday with Liverpool also depleted by four positive Covid cases.
\nHowever, it was one of their more experienced starters who got them back in the game as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain smashed home from the edge of the area.
\nLeicester restored their two-goal cushion before half-time thanks to James Maddison\u2019s piledriver from 30 yards that flew past Kelleher.
\nKlopp introduced three first-team regulars at half-time and one of them, Diogo Jota, gave Liverpool life again 22 minutes from time.
\nKasper Schmeichel then needed to produce a stunning save to deny the Portuguese a second, but Leicester still could not hold out as Takumi Minamino sent the game to penalties in the fifth minute of stoppage time.
\nMinamino then missed with the chance to win the tie from the spot in the shootout, but Kelleher saved from Luke Thomas and Ryan Bertrand before Jota fired home the winning penalty.
\nTottenham boss Antonio Conte showed his determination to end the club\u2019s 13-year trophy drought as soon as possible as he named Harry Kane among a strong starting line-up. But it was the other two of Spurs\u2019 front three who were on target in north London.
\nSteven Bergwijn scored his first goal of the season after two clever one-twos with Pierre Emile Hojbjerg.
\nTottenham\u2019s lead lasted just three minutes as West Ham seized upon Eric Dier\u2019s slack pass and Jarrod Bowen fired low past Hugo Lloris.
\nTwo minutes later it was 2-1 as Bergwijn this time turned provider for Moura to prod home from close range.
\n\u201cIn England it\u2019s very difficult to win something,\u201d said Conte, who will come up against his old club in the last four.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s good for Tottenham to reach the semi-finals of this competition. 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.\u201d
\nChelsea boss Thomas Tuchel handed debuts to academy prospects Harvey Vale, Jude Soonsup-Bell and Xavier Simons with the Blues short of seven players due to a Covid outbreak.
\nHowever, Tuchel emptied his bench in the second half with the introduction of N\u2019Golo Kante, Mason Mount, Christian Pulisic, Reece James and Jorginho.
\nAnd that extra quality made the difference as Pontus Jansson turned James\u2019 cross into his own net 10 minutes from time.
\nJorginho then stroked home a penalty after Pulisic had been upended in the box.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Reds come from two goals down to make entry into semi-finals through penalties LIVERPOOL Liverpool came from two goals down to beat Leicester on penalties after a pulsating League Cup quarter-final ended 3-3 at Anfield as Tottenham and Chelsea also made the semi-finals on Wednesday. Spurs were 2-1 winners over West Ham and will face […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-234748","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n