A reminder of the semi-final draw
Middlesbrough v Chelsea
Liverpool v Fulham
First leg: week commencing January 8
Second leg: week commencing January 22
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David Moyes speaks to Sky. “Liverpool played very well … we praise them for how well they played … obviously we didn’t play well enough … the second goal was the killer, we were beginning to grow into the game … we didn’t do particularly well in some areas for the goals … we beat Arsenal in the last game and had the hardest draw of all coming to Anfield … we were up against a really strong opponent … a tough place to come and so it proved … we still have a little bit of illness but we’re not making any excuses … tonight was disappointing … before today we’d won seven out of nine in all competitions … we’ve been in good form and that tells you how well Liverpool played today.”
The first tie is a repeat of the 1998 final. Chelsea won that 2-0 thanks to extra-time goals from Frank Sinclair and Roberto Di Matteo. The other tie is a repeat of a two-legged second-round affair in 1986, one that will send a shudder down the spines of Fulham fans of a certain vintage: Liverpool won the first leg at Anfield 10-0 – Steve McMahon scoring four, setting up two, and missing a penalty – and followed that up with a 3-2 victory at Craven Cottage.
The semi-final draw
Middlesbrough v Chelsea
Liverpool v Fulham
First leg: week commencing January 8
Second leg: week commencing January 22
Liverpool v Fulham.
Middlesbrough v Chelsea.
The draw. It’s being made by Harry and Jamie Redknapp. Middlesbrough, Fulham, Chelsea and Liverpool are about to discover their fate. The first leg of the semis will be played week commencing January 8, with the second legs taking place week commencing January 22.
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Jurgen Klopp speaks to Sky. “It was obviously a really good game … plenty of top performances … we were difficult to play … sharp and spot-on from the first second … really good football … it’s really important that we can use the squad … everybody on the pitch showed that they really wanted to play and win … a top performance from start to finish … it was a joy to watch the boys tonight … the not-so-cool part of our life is we have to prepare for Arsenal already!”
Pre-draw anticipation. Liverpool have won this competition a record nine times. Chelsea have won it on five occasions. Middlesbrough just the once, but they’ve also reached a couple of other finals. This is new ground for Fulham, though; they’ve never made it this far before. Richard Hirst is nevertheless looking for history to be his friend: “On our way to Wembley in 1975, Fulham won at Everton, so I’m confident. And now that we can’t get West Ham in the final…”
The semi-final draw is scheduled for 10.15pm. In the meantime, Andy Hunter was at Anfield tonight. Here’s his verdict.
Tonight’s xG: Liverpool 3.16-0.06 West Ham. That shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. The home side had 29 shots to West Ham’s two, and 49 touches in the opposition box to the visitors’ five.
Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp celebrate their victory with the usual passion. To a man they were excellent tonight. The 5-1 scoreline doesn’t flatter them a bit, and that’ll make up for their stodgy showing against Manchester United. They’ll go into the Arsenal game at the weekend in a far better frame of mind. However, as good as Liverpool were, West Ham were abysmal, their defence ragged, their attack toothless. The exception that proved the rule: birthday-boy Jarred Bowen’s fantastic goal. You can be sure David Moyes will want to avoid Klopp’s side in the Europa League.
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FULL TIME: Liverpool 5-1 West Ham United
Liverpool join Middlesbrough, Fulham and Chelsea in the semi-finals. Draw to come! Go nowhere!
90 min +4: A long ball nearly finds Ings on the edge of the Liverpool box, but Kelleher gets there first. Meanwhile Grant Tennille would like to offer the dictionary definition of “Simulacrummy: West Ham’s attempt at imitating a competent defence.”
90 min +3: His radar’s off. West Ham clear. But Elliott comes back down the right and wins another corner. Alexander-Arnold plays this one short. That routine goes nowhere, too.
90 min +2: Salah busies himself and wins a corner down the right. Alexander-Arnold ambles across to take it.
90 min +1: The first of four added minutes. Jamie Carragher names Curtis Jones as Sky’s player of the match. Few would quibble.
90 min: … but it looks like the only thing he’ll add to his stats tonight is a booking. He picks one up for clumsily back-heeling Kehrer in the face.
89 min: Jones releases Nunez down the left … but the flag goes up for offside. Nunez is fuming. Cross with himself. He desperately wants a goal.
88 min: Elliott tries to get in on the fun but, falling backwards, scoops a weak shot wide left from distance.
86 min: It’s fair to say David Moyes will now go 21 games at Anfield without a victory. He’s raging, by the way. Empurpled. That is not the way a David Moyes side usually defends. “I feel that Noel Moline may be writing out the 100 lines himself,” writes Gary Moore. “John Cleese was surely wearing a tunic, not a toga.”
GOAL! Liverpool 5-1 West Ham United (Jones 84)
Jones picks up possession on the halfway line. He dribbles down the inside-left channel. Suddenly West Ham’s defence opens up generously. He drifts into the middle, into the box, a little right of centre, then dinks across Areola and into the bottom left. What a run! What appalling defending!
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GOAL! Liverpool 4-1 West Ham United (Salah 82)
You can’t keep a good man down. Salah, having just squirted wide of an open goal, is sent clear down the middle, West Ham having committed everyone to a futile attack. Salah reaches the edge of the box, draws Areola, and rolls a shot across the keeper and into the bottom right.
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82 min: Former Liverpool striker Ings comes on for Alvarez.
81 min: Nunez comes barrelling in from the left. He reaches the edge of the D before thrashing a low drive across Areola … and off the base of the right-hand post. The ball pings back to Salah, who can’t adjust his body to steer the rebound into the net. Wide left. How did that stay out?!
80 min: “Noel Moline’s quote is incomplete,” writes Winston Smith. “He forgot the last line: ‘Or I’ll cut your balls off.’”
78 min: That’s a lovely birthday present for Bowen, who is 27 today. Gakpo is replaced by Diaz. The game restarts and Gomez storms down the inside-left channel before taking a shot. It’s a decent effort, but well held by Areola. That senior goal remains elusive.
GOAL! Liverpool 3-1 West Ham United (Bowen 77)
This is a brilliant goal. Johnson sends a speculative ball down the left. Bowen gets ahead of Quansah, turns the young defender just inside the box, and curls a glorious shot across Kelleher and into the top right. What a finish!
75 min: Liverpool ping it around. Bradley, who has looked lively since coming on, wins a corner down the right. It leads to a brief game of pinball in the West Ham six-yard box, but nothing drops to a home shirt and the visitors can clear their lines.
74 min: This scoreline doesn’t flatter Liverpool at all. They look in the mood for more, as well. West Ham continue to struggle to retain possession. Meanwhile here’s Noel Moline: “Where’s John Cleese dressed in a toga when you need him, to tell Paul Griffin ‘Simulacra is plural, simulacrum is singular. Now, write it out 100 times.’”
72 min: Kehrer and Ward-Prowse come on for Kudus and Coufal.
GOAL! Liverpool 3-0 West Ham United (Gakpo 71)
Ogbonna and Soucek leave a loose ball to each other. Konate nips in and steals off with it and feeds Gakpo, who threads a shot into the bottom left from the edge of the D. Simple as that. Game over, surely.
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71 min: West Ham take a quick throw down the right. Kudus strides towards the box and sends a screamer inches over the bar. Kelleher probably had it covered. It’s West Ham’s first effort at goal.
70 min: Bradley’s very first contribution is to cushion Alexander-Arnold’s long diagonal pass into Salah’s path down the inside-right channel. It’s an exquisite touch, and worthy of an assist. Sadly Salah slices wildly into the Kop. That would have been a picture-book goal.
68 min: The young right-back Bradley replaces Tsimikas. Gomez comes across to the left of Liverpool’s defence.
66 min: That Curtis Jones goal was Liverpool’s 500th in this tournament. Only Aston Villa, with 514, have scored more. You can thank Sky Sports for that one.
65 min: Nunez dribbles at slow speed down the left but still wins a corner through sheer persistence. It’s all for nought, though, because Tsimikas’s set-piece delivery is off-whack. “It’s alright this game,” begins Paul Griffin. “Lovely, open, and there’s a nice contrast between the home side’s youthful energy and their opponent’s increasingly desperate resolution. However, it is entirely lacking regular pauses to watch some barely competent men in Hillingdon draw wobbly, grandiose lines on a low resolution screen, so it’s a poor simulation of the real thing as far as I am concerned. Whoever wins will know it’s a mere simulacra of a victory.”
63 min: … the ball’s worked from Alexander-Arnold on the right, to Tsimikas on the left, then back again. Alexander-Arnold hits a cross-cum-shot through a crowded box. Nunez lunges but can’t connect and the ball bobbles wide left.
62 min: Liverpool pour forward at speed. Quansah strides out from the back. Gakpo finds Salah, who feeds Elliott into the box from the right. Elliott tries to nutmeg Areola from a tight angle and is forced to settle for a corner. From which …
60 min: Liverpool make a triple change, replacing Szoboszlai, Van Dijk and Endo with Alexander-Arnold, Konate and Salah.
58 min: Fornals swings a cross in from the left. Kelleher comes way off his line to punch clear spectacularly. Liverpool counter through Jones, who looks for the top right this time. Always wide, always high.
57 min: That was a fine goal from the perspective of Liverpool and Jones; not so good from Areola’s perspective. Beaten at his near post. Paqueta comes on for Benrahma.
GOAL! Liverpool 2-0 West Ham United (Jones 56)
Liverpool have been hammering on the door, and they get their reward. Jones plays a ball round the corner, down the left for Nunez. He keeps on running for the box, and gets the ball back. There’s nobody in the middle, so he has a whack from a tight angle. He blasts the ball straight through Areola, across the face of goal and into the bottom right!
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55 min: Nunez has a crack from out left. His drive smacks straight into Gakpo.
54 min: Gakpo clears the corner with an authoritative header. But that’s better from West Ham, who despite taking a territorial hammering are only one goal behind. A reminder to Liverpool that the tie is far from over.
53 min: Johnson sashays down the left and rolls a pass down the flank for Bowen, who enters the box and crosses low. Tsimikas is forced to poke behind for a corner with Soucek lurking behind him.
52 min: Alvarez slides in late on Elliott, catching him on the ankle. Not the worst challenge, not the best. The yellow card he gets seems about right.
50 min: Another wave of Liverpool attack. Jones takes a shot from the left-hand edge of the D. That one bobbles harmlessly wide right; the keeper had it covered.
49 min: Liverpool quickly come back at West Ham. Nunez makes his way into the box from the left and sends a rising shot towards the top left. Areola turns it around for another corner; nothing comes of that one either.
47 min: Jones comes in from the left and shoots. It’s deflected out for a corner, which Liverpool take quickly. Endo tries to release Szoboszlai down the right. The pass is too strong, but Szoboszlai somehow reaches it before it goes out for a corner, then sends in a cross that’s deflected miles into the sky by Ogbonna, so much so that Nunez can’t leap high enough to head home a couple of yards out. Coufal turns it out for a corner, from which nothing comes.
Liverpool get the second half underway. No changes.
Half-time entertainment. Open up an early present from The Knowledge.
HALF TIME: Liverpool 1-0 West Ham United
On the balance of play, this scoreline flatters West Ham. They’ll need to do some thinking if they’re to deny Liverpool progress to the last four.
45 min +1: One added minute. Benrahma dribbles down the left but can’t get a cross in. Kelleher still hasn’t had his hands warmed.
45 min: Elliott makes good down the right. He sails infield before curling a lovely cross into the mixer. Gakpo rises highest, on the edge of the six-yard box, and guides a header across Areola and inches wide of the right-hand post. On target, that was 2-0, because Areola was rooted to the spot.
44 min: The West Ham fans aren’t letting it get them down, though. A lusty rendition of Bubbles. “It seems to me that Liverpool are shooting from range a lot more than other teams are, and that they themselves used to do,” observes Kári Tulinius. “I wouldn’t be surprised if Klopp or someone on his staff identified some marginal gain, whether purely in goals scored from range, or also because it makes defenders worry about players forty yards from goal, which can free up space in behind.”
42 min: Kudus tries to get something going for West Ham. He dribbles down the right, cuts infield, then … hoicks a wild crossfield pass, directed towards nobody, into the Kop. West Ham have done absolutely nothing in attack.
40 min: A loose ball in the West Ham box. Gomez races in, swings a leg and … misses altogether. He’s never scored a goal in senior football. The wait goes on.
39 min: Jones makes it into the box from the left and attempts the curler. His shot is blocked, then pings back off him and out for a goal kick.
37 min: Tsimikas takes a poor touch that allows Bowen to stride off with the ball. Bowen thinks about the spectacular from 30 yards. Tsimikas takes the opportunity to recover and take the ball back off his toe. Awful and excellent defending in the space of half a second.
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35 min: Liverpool are attacking down the right relentlessly. Another long ball, Van Dijk again, nearly finds Gakpo. Areola does well to realise the danger and make it to the edge of the box first.
34 min: Szoboszlai is everywhere. Now he nearly releases Elliott down the right with a raking diagonal looper. Elliott would have been free had he not slipped at the vital moment.
32 min: Van Dijk sprays a sensational long diagonal pass towards Szoboszlai on the right. Liverpool start flicking it around. West Ham can’t get a touch. Szoboszlai, Gakpo and Elliott all with silky touches. Eventually a corner’s won, and nothing comes of it, but Liverpool are playing some very easy-on-the-eye stuff tonight.
30 min: That was a hell of a strike. It’s got Anfield bouncing. On the bench, David Moyes frowns quite a lot.
GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 West Ham United (Szoboszlai 28)
If you take enough shots, one’s bound to fly in at some point. Quansah wins possession in the centre circle and feeds Szoboszlai in front of him. Szoboszlai storms down the inside-right channel before pearling a low, dipping drive across Areola and into the bottom left from 25 yards. Unstoppable!
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26 min: Nunez dribbles into the West Ham box from the left. He holds the ball patiently before spinning and cleverly slipping Elliott into space down the channel. Elliott fizzes a cross into the crowded middle. West Ham half clear, then Gomez clanks the ball out for a goal kick. The Manchester-United-game vibes continue to be felt.
25 min: Elliott worms his way down the right and looks for Gakpo in the middle. Johnson blocks out for a corner, which West Ham deal with easily enough. Liverpool come back at the Hammers; Endo hoicks a shot deep into the Anfield Road end.
23 min: Szoboszlai sends a harmless shot wide right from the edge of the box. Then Jones creams another effort from long distance, but that’s straight down Areola’s throat. A lot of pops at goal, but none of them really threatening. This is in danger of turning into an ersatz repeat of their efforts against Manchester United.
21 min: Kudus cuts in from the right and hits … well, what? It’s not a shot. It can’t be a cross. It flies across the front of the Liverpool box and out for a throw on the left. Most unlike the brilliant Ghanaian.
20 min: Endo slips a pass down the middle for Elliott, who spins and takes another shot from distance. This one’s easy for Areola.
19 min: West Ham finally show in attack, Benrahma dribbling down the left. But upon reaching the edge of the box, he can’t get past a combination of Endo and Gomez. Liverpool snatch possession back.
18 min: Tsimikas loops a long pass down the left and releases Nunez. But again the flag pops up. That’s a fairly borderline offside call as well. No VAR, no chances taken by the linesman, it would seem.
16 min: Liverpool stroke it around. It’s so easy that Gomez loses concentration and plays a blind backpass that nearly sends Bowen away. Gomez breathes again as Van Dijk arrives on the scene to batter clear. Szoboszlai takes up possession on the right flank and crosses deep for Nunez, who can only flash a header wide left.
14 min: Jones hip-shakes his way down the left channel. He tees up Szoboszlai, who miscontrols on the edge of the D. Elliott takes up possession instead, cutting in from the right before twisting and sending a rising screamer inches wide of the top-right corner. That would have been a lovely goal.
12 min: It’s all Liverpool. West Ham can’t keep hold of the ball. At least they’re holding their shape at the back. “Having sold Hendo and bought Endo, I think it’s logical to assume that Joseph N’Do will be in Liverpool’s midfield next season, and Tristan Do the season after. (This ‘joke’ was brought to you by an Only Connect fan.)” And who is that fan? Matt Dony, of course.
10 min: Elliott probes again down the left. His low cross is slashed clear by Johnson. Liverpool have started well.
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9 min: Szoboszlai chips elegantly down the inside-right channel but Gakpo can’t get on the end of the pass in the box. West Ham half clear, but Liverpool come back at them quickly, Elliott dribbling hard down the inside-left flank and bobbling a shot across Areola and inches wide of the right-hand post.
7 min: Gakpo picks up possession deep inside his own half and pings a first-time pass down the middle to release Nunez. The flag goes up immediately for offside … though second glance suggests Nunez had timed his run perfectly. No VAR tonight, so reason to allow play to develop before going back to check. The Hammers get away with a big one there.
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5 min: Szoboszlai drives down the middle of the park, set away by a quick Van Dijk free kick. He shoots from long range, only to hit the heel of Nunez, who was desperately trying to get out of the way. Szoboszlai and Nunez are able to laugh about it anyway.
3 min: A couple of nervous misplaced passes by Mavropanos. Then Areola slices out of play. The visitors not quite settled yet.
1 min: West Ham quickly ship possession and Liverpool launch it long. Areola dallies on the ball and is very nearly closed down by a combination of Gakpo, Elliott and Jones. He eventually clears his lines, panic over.
West Ham get the ball rolling. They’re kicking towards the Kop in this first half. “I’m cautiously optimistic that Liverpool will succeed in stemming the tide of Moyesy’s side.” Peter Oh, ladies and gentlemen. He’s here all week. Try the meat-and-potato-based Scandinavian stew.
The teams are out! Liverpool in red, West Ham in their change strip of white. Anticipation crackles around Anfield; it’s Christmas soon, after all. We’ll be off in a couple of minutes. “It’s a wet and blustery night on Merseyside,” reports Bill Preston. “Not quite as chilly as to stomp on your toes to keep warm though. Just a December storm. Down the road from the game (in what used to be the Littlewoods Cup) is the Littlewoods Building. That’s now being turned into TV and film studios (and next door there’s a fine production of Macbeth finishing). Let’s hope some thrilling heroics make the silver screen tonight.”
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David Moyes – who has never won at Anfield in 20 attempts – continues the love-in on Sky. “With how well the players have done in Europe, we’re trying to keep everybody ready if we can for this period … we’ve got Nayef Aguerd and Maxwel Cornet ill … Aaron Cresswell was ill but he’s better so he’s back on the bench … it’s an incredibly difficult game … we’ll go about the job tonight and we know we have to try and win it, either in normal time or penalties … we had a great result getting through against Arsenal so we’ll see if we can top it tonight … Jurgen Klopp is a multiple winner who has done incredible stuff with Liverpool over a long period … I thank him for his very kind words and hope I can knock him out of the cup tonight and maybe the next time he might change his words!”
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Jurgen Klopp speaks to Sky Sports ... and he really likes David Moyes's West Ham. “West Ham are a physically strong team … David Moyes is doing an incredible job … they are good again, through in Europe, a chance for a semi-final … it’s really impressive … Bowen is probably my favourite player apart from all of my players … it’s just great how he’s developed … we will give it a proper try … I couldn’t respect more what David is doing … on top of that I like him as a person … he is just a nice fellow … winning a final … qualifying for Europe in this league is incredibly difficult … improving the team every year … I really couldn’t respect it more … it’s a proper, proper Premier League game in the League Cup!”
That 1981 final was a controversial one. West Ham had won the FA Cup the previous season, and were leading the Second Division at the time. Liverpool were the reigning champions, but eight points behind joint leaders Ipswich Town and Aston Villa. Alan Kennedy opened the scoring for Liverpool in the 118th minute, driving over a prone and offside Sammy Lee. The linesman flagged for offside, but referee Clive Thomas overruled him. West Ham, fuming, went up the other end. Alvin Martin sent a header towards the top-right corner. With Ray Clemence beaten, Terry McDermott reached up and tipped the ball onto the bar. Penalty, which Ray Stewart dispatched at 101 mph.
Liverpool won the replay at Villa Park three weeks later. It wasn’t as interesting. But it was Liverpool’s first League Cup. They’ve won another eight since. West Ham are still looking for their first.
Liverpool make six changes to the starting XI sent out for the dull goalless draw with Manchester United. Caoimhín Kelleher, Joe Gomez, Jarell Quansah, Curtis Jones, Cody Gakpo and Harvey Elliott come in for Ibrahima Konaté, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Luis Díaz and Mohamed Salah, who are on the bench, and the rested pair of Alisson and Ryan Gravenberch.
West Ham also make six changes to their starting line-up, in the wake of their 3-0 win over Wolves. Alphonse Areola, Angelo Ogbonna, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Ben Johnson, Pablo Fornals and Saïd Benrahma replace Łukasz Fabiański, Kurt Zouma, James Ward-Prowse, Emerson and Lucas Paquetá, who are benched, with Nayef Aguerd missing out altogether.
The teams
Liverpool: Kelleher, Gomez, Quansah, van Dijk, Tsimikas, Szoboszlai, Endo, Jones, Elliott, Nunez, Gakpo.
Subs: Konate, Diaz, Salah, Adrian, Clark, Gordon, McConnell, Alexander-Arnold, Bradley.
West Ham United: Areola, Coufal, Mavropanos, Ogbonna, Johnson, Soucek, Alvarez, Kudus, Fornals, Benrahma, Bowen.
Subs: Fabianski, Cresswell, Zouma, Ward-Prowse, Lucas Paqueta, Ings, Kehrer, Emerson Palmieri, Mubama.
Referee: Tim Robinson (West Sussex).
The Reds to face West Ham in the #CarabaoCup quarter-final 📋🔴#LIVWHU
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 20, 2023
Your quarter-final Hammers ⚒️ pic.twitter.com/Ai0f3QWLSQ
— West Ham United (@WestHam) December 20, 2023
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Preamble
Middlesbrough, Fulham and Chelsea have already made it through to the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup. Liverpool and West Ham hope to join them tonight: they face off in a reprise of the 1981 final that kicks off at 8pm GMT. The draw for the semis follows afterwards. It’s on!
