'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAHAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUI/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQL/2gAMAwEAAhADEAAAAM8xRr//xAAfEAACAgEEAwAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMRBAAFEiFBUbH/2gAIAQEAAT8AxHwE2+dJbORIAgZoQ3A8hVG+vJvv1pjTG/g1/8QAFhEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQBB/9oACAECAQE/AF2//8QAFREBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH/2gAIAQMBAT8Aj//Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Chris Sutton was far from impressed when Caoimhin Kelleher misjudged a cross in the second half of Liverpool's 1-1 second-leg draw against Fulham in the EFL Cup semifinals.
Having won the first leg 2-1 at Anfield, the Reds came to Craven Cottage on Wednesday (24 January) knowing that a draw would be enough to take them through. Luis Diaz's right-footed shot hit three Fulham players, including Bernd Leno, before hitting the post and going in, giving Liverpool a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute.
Eight minutes into the second half, Fulham had a golden chance to pull one back. Former Chelsea winger Willian played a right-footed cross from the left flank, hoping to find his teammates inside the box. Kelleher thought he could come out and punch it before a Fulham player got to it.
However, the Irish goalkeeper made a mess of the situation. He got nowhere near the ball, with a Fulham player heading it into Andreas Pereira's direction. The former Manchester United playmaker hit the post with his attempt from a narrow angle.
The shot, in fact, helped Liverpool launch a blistering counterattack at the other end, spearheaded by Darwin Nunez. Instead of passing to Diaz, who seemed ready to make a piercing run on two separate occasions, the Uruguayan squared to Harvey Elliott.
The Englishman's tame weak-foot shot was easily saved by Leno, diffusing the situation. Commenting on the play, Sutton told BBC Radio 5 Live (h/t The Boot Room):
"I think Darwin Nunez picked the wrong pass, he should have picked out Luis Diaz’s run. At the other end Caoimhin Kelleher makes a mess of the cross, he completely mistimes it, Andreas Pereira against the post from an angle."
Former Liverpool winger Harry Wilson was electric in the second against the Reds and he ultimately set up his team's first goal in the second goal in the 76th minute. A deflected cross from the Welshman was bundled in by Issa Diop, but it wasn't enough for Fulham as they lost 3-2 on aggregate.
Liverpool face Chelsea in EFL Cup final repeat after Blues thrash Middlesbrough
There were huge question marks over Chelsea's chances of making the EFL Cup final after they lost 1-0 to Middlesbrough in the first leg of the semifinal away from home.
Mauricio Pochettino's side responded by being ruthless in the second leg, smashing six goals past a hapless Boro side to win 6-2 on aggregate on 23 January. They will face Liverpool in the final at Wembley on 25 February.
The match is a repeat of the 2021-22 EFL Cup final where the Reds beat Chelsea on penalties. The game finished 0-0 after 120 minutes of play and both teams took 11 penalties each, with Kepa Arrizabalaga skying his effort to hand Liverpool the win.
The two teams also faced each other in the EFL Cup final in the 2004-05 campaign, where Chelsea won 3-2 after extra time.
