Liverpool can secure a place in the Carabao Cup semi-finals by beating Bournemouth at Anfield in December, a third consecutive home tie in the competition. The Reds have already eliminated Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea and would need to overcome a third Premier League club to reach the last four.
Third Premier League Scalp in Sight
Arsenal and Manchester United are already out alongside Spurs and Chelsea, leaving nine-time winners Manchester City as the main rival. City host Bradford in the quarter-finals and will feel they have as good a chance of winning the competition as Liverpool.
Seven changes were made for the Chelsea match, which Liverpool won 6-5 on aggregate. Lewis Koumas, Trey Nyoni and James McConnell all started, and Joe Gomez took the decisive spot kick in the shootout.
Rotation and Emerging Talent
The Carabao Cup is typically used by clubs like Liverpool to utilise the full range of the squad. With a semi-final now in prospect, Iraola may look to use some of his more high-profile players for the Bournemouth tie.
Liverpool have built a new squad at significant cost over the past two summers, with players such as Florian Wirtz, Bradley Barcola and Alexander Isak signed with bigger plans in mind. An 11th League Cup triumph could serve as a platform for further silverware.
Building a Winning Culture
Jamie Carragher told The Athletic in 2024: "When you're at a big club like Liverpool, playing is not enough. You've got to win playing for Liverpool, and this did feel like the start of something - and not just because it was the first trophy won."
Cesc Fabregas, who won the tournament in 2015 with Chelsea, said: "It creates culture, winning culture. It creates good mentality, a good togetherness between the club and the fans, the players, the team. I think this is very important, this togetherness."
Liverpool were beaten finalists in 2005 and 2016 under Rafa Benitez and Jurgen Klopp respectively. Benitez's side won the Champions League months later, while Klopp's team went on to become one of the finest sides in world football. The new-look Liverpool under Iraola have won five games in a row and are making noticeable progress.
