Liverpool Win On Penalties

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.

Liverpool will take on Arsenal in the semi-finals over two legs in January. All three matches went ahead in front of full crowds despite the worrying rise of COVID-19 case numbers that had seen last weekend’s Premier League schedule decimated by call offs. Leicester’s previous two fixtures had been called off due to a combination of a COVID-19 outbreak in the squad and a mounting injury list.

However, 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.

Jamie Vardy struck twice inside the first 13 minutes as he angled a drive across Caoimhin Kelleher and then tapped in Patson Daka’s pass from close range.

Jurgen 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.

However, 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.

Leicester restored their two-goal cushion before half-time thanks to James Maddison’s piledriver from 30 yards that flew past Kelleher.

Klopp introduced three first-team regulars at half-time and one of them, Diogo Jota, gave Liverpool life again 22 minutes from time. Kasper 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.

Minamino 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.