The bracket for the 2021-22 Carabao Cup semi-finals has been set, featuring a high-stakes encounter between Chelsea and Tottenham, and another between Liverpool and Arsenal. The pairings were determined immediately following the quarter-finals, where Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham, and Arsenal emerged victorious over Brentford, Leicester City, West Ham, and Sunderland, respectively.
The 2021-22 Carabao Cup semi-final draw has seen Chelsea book a clash with Tottenham and Liverpool lock horns with Arsenal. The Semi-final games were determined immediately following the result of the quarterfinals. In the quarterfinal games, Chelsea defeated Brentford, Liverpool defeated Leicester City, Tottenham defeated West Ham, and Arsenal defeated Sunderland.
The semi-finals are currently slated as two-legged affairs, though there is a possibility they could be reduced to a single match. These critical fixtures will take place during the first two weeks of January 2022, with the final scheduled for February 27th at Wembley. Chelsea is eyeing revenge against Tottenham for their 2008 final heartbreak, while Arsenal hopes to bounce back from a humiliating 4-0 loss to Liverpool in November. Arsenal's path to the semis was smoothed by a dominant 5-1 win over Sunderland.
Liverpool's progression to the semi-finals was a dramatic rollercoaster. After trailing Leicester 3-1, they fought back to force a penalty shootout, which they won 5-4. The standout performer was second-choice goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, whose two vital saves during the shootout single-handedly kept Liverpool's hopes alive.
As joint record-holders with eight trophies, Liverpool has now made it to their 18th Carabao Cup semi-final. The real catalyst for their survival, however, was Takumi Minamino. In a stunning turn of events, Minamino scored a dramatic equalizer in the 95th minute, just seconds before the end of stoppage time, to force the game into penalties.
Chelsea moved past Brentford with a 2-0 victory, thanks to a bit of luck from an own goal and a composed late penalty from Jorginho. The Blues earned their place in the final four by staying sharp until the end. The deadlock was broken in the final ten minutes when Brentford's Pontus Jansson accidentally turned the ball into his own net.
Just five minutes later, Chelsea cemented their return to the League Cup semi-finals for the first time in three years. After Alvaro Fernandez fouled Christian Pulisic in the box, the referee pointed to the spot. Jorginho stepped up and clinically converted the penalty to seal the win.
Tottenham Hotspur is looking to end a trophy drought spanning 14 years after scraping past West Ham United with a 2-1 win. This victory keeps their hopes of silverware alive. It brings back memories of 2008, when Spurs beat Chelsea 2-1 to claim their first trophy in nearly a decade. In this recent clash, Steven Bergwijn linked up with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg to put Spurs ahead in the 29th minute.
The lead was short-lived, as Nikola Vlasic managed to find Jarrod Bowen inside the area just three minutes later. Bowen showed great control and fired a low shot into the net to level the score. Ultimately, however, Lucas Moura proved to be the difference, scoring the winning goal from a Bergwijn assist.