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Blues, Reds stay on course in Cup
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WITH no European competitions clogging up their schedules, Chelsea and Liverpool are placing more importance on the English Football League Cup than usual this season.
They both advanced to the last 16 on Tuesday — but took different routes.
Chelsea came from two goals behind at Premier League champion Leicester, taking an end-to-end game to extra time at 2-2 thanks to goals from defenders Gary Cahill and Cesar Azpilicueta before Cesc Fabregas’ double clinched a 4-2 win.
Liverpool had it much easier, dispatching second-tier Derby in a 3-0 victory with Ragnar Klavan, Philippe Coutinho and Divock Origi scoring the goals.
Chelsea and Liverpool both rested key players but still fielded strong lineups in a bid to stay alive in one of three competitions they’ll enter this season. Liverpool is a record eight-time League Cup winner, while Chelsea is joint-second in the all-time list of trophy winners with five titles.
Leicester has much bigger priorities this season. Aside from attempting to retain its Premier League title, Claudio Ranieri’s team is in the UEFA Champions League for the first time and likely will not be too concerned about exiting the League Cup.
Japan forward Shinji Okazaki took advantage of defensive errors to score twice for Leicester at King Power Stadium, but the hosts were undermanned in extra time after Marcin Wasilewski collected his second yellow card in the 89th for elbowing Diego Costa in the face.
Fabregas’ two goals send a message to Chelsea manager Antonio Conte, who has marginalized the Spain midfielder at the start of the season.
“I was happy to play from the start and if I can help the team then fantastic,” Fabregas told Sky Sports. “Hopefully this will shut up a few journalists who are chatting rubbish all the time.”
While Arsenal enjoyed a 4-0 stroll at Nottingham Forest it was a bad night for fellow Premier League sides Everton and Bournemouth, who exited the competition at the hands of second-tier opponents.
Everton was dumped out 0-2 at home by Norwich City, for whom Steve Naismith and Josh Murphy scored, while Bournemouth suffered a 2-3 home loss to Preston North End, with Simon Makienok bagging a hat-trick, including an extra-time winner.
Newcastle United progressed with a 2-0 victory at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers, having lost to the Midlands side by the same scoreline in the Championship on Saturday.
Reading won 2-1 at Brighton & Hove Albion and Leeds United beat Blackburn Rovers 1-0.
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