Liverpool booked their place in the Carabao Cup final as an aggregate score of 3-2 advantage was enough to take them through despite a 1-1 draw against a determined Fulham at Craven Cottage.
The Reds came into the match with a 2-1 advantage from the first-leg played in Anfield, with a win or draw safe to guarantee them a place against Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea who thrashed Middleborough 6-1 a day before.
The team from Merseyside would get on the scoresheet in the 11th minute after a long ball from Jarell Quansah which appeared routine for Fulham right-back, Timothy Castagne to claim but Luis Diaz would catch him napping and with a deflected shot beat the unfortunate Bernd Leno.
Liverpool were unlucky not to go 2 goals ahead in the tie, as a Darwin Nunez shot ricocheted off the post for Diaz to slam it home, but the strike was ruled offside as Nunez went too early.
The tie would blow wide open in the 77th minute as Fulham midfielder Harry Wilson drove down the left wing whipping in a cross that got diverted in by defender Issa Diop who made a galloping dash to the opposition box.
The West-Londoners’ quest for a dramatic ending and take the tie to extra-time would prove futile as the Reds would hang on and set a repeat of 2022 Carabao final against the Blues.
Liverpool had won the contest 11-10 on penalties.
John Njuguna
