EFL Cup semi-final draw: Liverpool to play Fulham, Chelsea face Middlesbrough

Liverpool have been paired with Fulham in the semi-final of the League Cup, while Chelsea will play Championship side Middlesbrough.

Jurgen Klopp's side, who last won the tournament in 2021/22, booked their place in the last four by hammering West Ham United 5-1 at Anfield on Wednesday.

The tie will be played over two legs, with the first fixture on the week commencing January 8, and the second two weeks later. The final is at Wembley on Sunday 25 February.

In the other last four tie, Middlesbrough were drawn against Chelsea.

Michael Carrick's side are the lowest ranked team left in the competition, and came through a quarter-final clash away to Port Vale, beating the League One outfit 3-0.

That means they remain on course to repeat the heroics of the Boro side of 2003/04, who famously won the League Cup for the first time in their history, beating Bolton 2-1 at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

Chelsea on the other hand are trying to lift their maiden piece of silverware under Mauricio Pochettino.

Their route to the semi-finals has included narrow successes against Wimbledon, Brighton and Blackburn, all on home soil, before Mykhailo Mudryk's late strike took their quarter-final tie against Newcastle to penalties and they eventually won on spot-kicks.

The first leg of that tie will be played at the Riverside Stadium, whereas Anfield will play host to the corresponding game in the Liverpool v Fulham tie.

The Cottagers have never previously reached the semi-finals of the League Cup, but booked their spot in the last four courtesy of a dramatic penalty shoot-out defeat of Everton.

Manager Marco Silva has described getting this far as a "big moment" for the club, and he will be hoping they can go one step further, now that Wembley is within sight.

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