Manchester City and Liverpool secured their places in the League Cup quarterfinals on Wednesday after surviving tense penalty shootouts against Brighton and Chelsea, respectively. Defending champion Manchester City edged Brighton 4–3 on penalties following a 2–2 draw, while Liverpool outlasted Chelsea 6–5 from the spot after a 1–1 stalemate.
Extraordinary Resets at Stamford Bridge and the Amex Stadium
The fourth-round fixtures delivered late drama across both matches. At the Amex Stadium, Enzo Maresca’s Manchester City side twice fell behind against a high-flying Brighton team currently sitting third in the Premier League. Georginio Rutter a été passeur décisif puis buteur pour Brighton face aux Citizens. Rayan Cherki leveled for the visitors in the 72nd minute with a free-kick that deflected off a teammate.
In the shootout, Brighton goalkeeper Jason Steele saved Mateo Kovacic’s initial penalty, but former Marseille goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli responded with two consecutive stops to punch City’s ticket to the next round.
Anfield Drama and Chelsea’s Injury Blows
Simultaneously, the clash between Liverpool and Chelsea followed a similar knife-edge trajectory. Morgan Rogers put the visiting Blues ahead from the penalty spot in the 40th minute, before Cody Gakpo equalized for the Reds with another penalty just three minutes later. After extra time failed to separate the two clubs, a protracted shootout decided the outcome.
The save that secured our League Cup quarter-final place! 🤩🧤 pic.twitter.com/484qxcNXH5
Liverpool ultimately prevailed 6–5 on penalties. Chelsea’s elimination was sealed when French defender Wesley Fofana sent his decisive spot-kick high over the crossbar. Compounding the defeat for Chelsea, fellow French defender Maxence Lacroix suffered a left thigh injury and limped off in the 46th minute, raising immediate fitness concerns ahead of the announcement of the national team list.
Wider League Cup Results Across England
Elsewhere in Wednesday’s League Cup action, Crystal Palace — currently struggling in the Premier League under Pierre Sage — secured a narrow 1–0 away victory against Fulham. Bournemouth swept aside Aston Villa with a decisive 3–0 win. Meanwhile, sixth-placed Premier League side Brentford suffered a 3–2 upset defeat against league bottom-dwellers Sunderland, in a match where Jocelin Ta Bi was involved in all three goals for the victors.
Quarterfinal Outlook and What Comes Next
With the fourth round concluded, the victorious clubs advance to the League Cup quarterfinals. Manchester City’s schedule immediately turns back to league competition, as they are set to face Brighton again on Saturday in a swift rematch of their cup encounter. Liverpool and the remaining quarterfinalists await their next fixtures as the domestic tournament narrows toward its latter stages.
Watch that EPIC penalty shootout back, as @LFC make the Last Eight! 🔴🤩#EFL | #CarabaoCup pic.twitter.com/JykmDIxukv
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