Liverpool and Chelsea discover their Carabao Cup semi-final opponents

In the Carabao Cup semi-finals, Chelsea will be up against the Championship team, Middlesbrough, while Liverpool will be battling it out with Fulham.

Liverpool's spot in the last four of the Carabao Cup was secured by a decisive 5-1 triumph over West Ham United at Anfield on a Wednesday evening. With goals netted by Dominik Szoboszlai, Cody Gakpo, Mohamed Salah and Curtis Jones scoring twice, the team is viewed as the top contender to clinch the tournament this season.

On the other hand, Chelsea had to strive harder to progress to the semi-finals, achieving victory via a nail-biting penalty shootout against Newcastle United. The match, initially ending in a 1-1 draw, was thrown into the penalty stage by Mykhailo Mudryk's last-minute equaliser.

Meanwhile, Middlesbrough, under the guidance of their manager Michael Carrick, defeated League One opponent Port Vale 3-0 in the quarter-finals. Similarly, Fulham overcame Everton through a penalty shootout at Goodison Park.

The outcomes of the draws suggest that we might witness a recreation of the 2022 final this season, assuming that Liverpool and Chelsea emerge victorious as anticipated. The previous final saw Liverpool clinch the win at the Wembley Stadium via a penalty shootout.

Slated for the week of January 8, the opening leg of the semi-finals will be followed by the concluding leg scheduled for the week commencing on January 22.

The initial matches of the semi-finals will see Middlesbrough and Liverpool play on their home turf.