Liverpool and the rest of the teams who remain in the Carabao Cup have learned their next opponents in the competition, with Andoni Iraola's side having knocked out Spurs this week
Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola.
Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola.(Image: Alex Livesey - Danehouse/Getty Images)
Liverpool will host Chelsea in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup after Andoni Iraola's side eliminated Tottenham at Anfield earlier this week.
Goals from Alexis Mac Allister, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai secured a 3-1 win over Spurs on Tuesday, with Iraola's changed team getting the job done against Roberto De Zerbi's men despite Conor Gallagher halving the deficit in the second half.
"It's true that I made a lot of changes, but I think I needed to do it because we could see the other day we lacked a little bit of energy, we needed fresh legs," Iraola said in his post-match press conference.
"I'm happy because all the players have given us intensity, have given us aggressiveness.
"I think we’ve been good in a lot of parts of the game. And also happy because we’ve deserved the reward to win the game and to have earned the right to be in the next round.
"Cody [Gakpo] gives us not just the goals and the assists, he gives us also some physicality, he gives us calmness on the ball. And also players like him, like Ronald [Araujo], Alexis, with a team that was quite young, I think his experience has helped us a lot.
"I think the three goals we scored honestly were very good goals. The origin of the goals.
"The first one and the second one are also very important for us. But the third goal obviously is a worldie, it’s outstanding.
"The thing with Dom is, before shooting you are trusting he might score. With other players maybe you are thinking, ‘It’s too far.’ With Dom, everyone is thinking he might score."
Lewis Koumas was one of the stars of the night as the 20-year-old produced a relentess performance, leading from the front.
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"I said it during the week, and I say it for a reason," Iraola added on the Wales international, who filled in for Alexander Isak.
"He does it in training every day. He is very clear what he needs to do, what the team needs. Also, the energy he shows is contagious for the rest.
"When you see the ones up front giving everything you are kind of forced to go, go behind and use the same intensity levels. I’m very happy for him."