Liverpool booked a Carabao Cup quarter-final meeting with Bournemouth after overcoming Chelsea on penalties, while holders Manchester City survived a stern test from Brighton to reach the last eight.
The biggest shock of the round came from Fleetwood Town, who stunned Premier League champions Arsenal to secure a place in the quarter-finals.
Liverpool and Chelsea played out a 1-1 draw at Anfield, with Morgan Rogers converting from the penalty spot before Cody Gakpo restored parity.
The Reds eventually prevailed 6-5 in the shoot-out after Wesley Fofana missed a crucial penalty.
Liverpool’s youngsters impress in win
Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola praised his young players after making several changes to his starting line-up, highlighting their contribution to the team’s third consecutive home victory.
“They showed us they had a very good level and they helped us a lot,” Iraola said.
Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso described the encounter as a “proper cup game”, maintaining that his team had performed well enough to compete at Anfield despite their eventual elimination.
Liverpool will now welcome Bournemouth in the quarter-finals, setting up an all-Premier League clash.
Man City edge Brighton in penalty shoot-out
Manchester City also needed penalties to progress after a thrilling 2-2 draw with Brighton.
Malick Yalcouye and Georginio Rutter put Brighton ahead on separate occasions, but Mateo Kovacic and Vitor Reis scored for Enzo Maresca’s side to force a shoot-out.
Rayan Cherki converted the decisive penalty as Man City secured a 4-3 victory on penalties. Goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli also played a crucial role, saving two Brighton attempts to help the holders advance.
Man City boss Enzo Maresca welcomed the contribution of his rotated squad but admitted there was still room for improvement defensively.
“We have many things we can do better,” he said. “The game was chaotic but overall we controlled it quite good.”
Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler believed his side had done enough to win, describing the goals conceded as “very unlucky”.
Man City will host Bradford City in the quarter-finals as they continue their pursuit of another Carabao Cup title.
Bournemouth extend winning run
Bournemouth booked their place in the quarter-finals with an emphatic 3-0 victory over Aston Villa, extending their winning streak to five matches.
Head coach Marco Rose praised his players’ attitude and commitment after making eight changes to his team.
He said the performance underlined the strength and competitiveness of his squad.
The victory sets up a challenging trip to Anfield, where Bournemouth will face Liverpool for a place in the semi-finals.
Fleetwood produce stunning Arsenal upset
Fleetwood Town delivered one of the biggest shocks of the competition by eliminating Premier League champions Arsenal on penalties to earn a quarter-final home tie against either Everton or Newcastle United.
The League Two side held Mikel Arteta’s team to a 1-1 draw before winning 5-3 in the shoot-out.
Aaron Loupalo-Bi gave Fleetwood the lead, but Viktor Gyokeres equalised for Arsenal to send the tie to penalties.
Despite dominating possession and creating several opportunities, Arsenal failed to find a decisive second goal.
Max Dowman’s red card further complicated matters for the Gunners before Fleetwood completed their memorable victory from the spot.
The result handed Fleetwood a major scalp and another opportunity to test themselves against top-flight opposition.
Arteta disappointed as Arsenal fall short
Arsenal manager Arteta refused to question his players’ mentality but admitted that his team had failed to turn their dominance into a winning result.
“A really sad day for us. I cannot fault at all the attitude of the players,” he told Sky Sports.
“We had so much of the ball, had so many chances, so many shots and if you want the margins to be bigger than going to penalties, you have to capitalise on that. We didn’t and football is about that.”
The defeat represents a significant setback for Arsenal, who had been among the favourites to lift the trophy.
For Fleetwood, meanwhile, the victory creates the prospect of another memorable night in the competition.
Carabao Cup quarter-final draw
Liverpool vs Bournemouth
Manchester City vs Bradford City
Crystal Palace vs Sunderland
Fleetwood Town vs Everton or Newcastle United
The quarter-final matches are scheduled to take place during the week commencing December 14.
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