English League Cup Round 4: Chelsea and Liverpool win narrowly.
Chelsea and Liverpool both secured their places in the fifth round of the League Cup after winning 2-1 against Shrewsbury Town and Swansea respectively.
 |
| The joy of victory for the Liverpool players. |
In the match against Swansea, manager Brendan Rodgers ofLiverpoolDespite resting several key players such as Steven Gerrard (not registered to play), Simon Mignolet, and Mario Balotelli, the "Reds" faced immense difficulties in the first 45 minutes against a very resilient visiting team. The most disappointing player was new signing Lazar Markovic, with numerous clumsy ball handling and careless finishing. A prime example was when, having the ball inside Swansea's penalty area, he unleashed a shot straight into the stands despite being unmarked.
Emnes helps Swansea break the deadlock.
Unable to find a way to break through Tremmel's defense, Liverpool fans fell silent after Emnes broke through and finished with a delicate shot into the far corner, leaving goalkeeper Brad Jones helpless. 1-0 to Swansea in the 65th minute.
Waking up after falling behind, Liverpool played fluidly and created tremendous pressure on the visitors' half. In the 86th minute, Borini delivered a perfect pass from the right wing to...Mario Balotelli charged in and unleashed a powerful shot., leveling the score at 1-1. "Super Mario's" crucial goal helped him relieve some of the pressure after recent criticism of his form, and also opened up a chance for the home team to win in the remaining time of the second half.
Balotelli has ended his goal drought.
In the 90+2 minute, Swansea were reduced to 10 men after center-back Fernandes received a red card. Just three minutes later, new signing Lovren headed the ball accurately into the net, securing a deserved 2-1 victory for the home side, Liverpool.
VIDEO: Liverpool 2-1 Swansea
In another match, many Chelsea fans hoped that Jose Mourinho's team would "crush" their opponents from League Two.Shrewsbury Townto regain inspiration after the bitter draw against Man United last Sunday night.
Chelsea struggled to secure a victory against Shrewsbury Town.
In the 48th minute, veteran Didier Drogba capped off his impressive recent form with a goal to open the scoring, making it 1-0 from a Salah pass. It seemed as though Shrewsbury would be demoralized after conceding, but the home team continued to play with enthusiasm and confidence.
The joy of the Shrewsbury players
However, Shrewsbury's joy was short-lived, as just four minutes later, Grandison inadvertently headed the ball into his own net after attempting to block a cross from Willian on the left wing, giving Chelsea a hard-fought 2-1 victory.
VIDEO: Shrewsbury Town 1-2 Chelsea
Results of other matches
AFC Bournemouth2-1 West Bromwich
Milton Keynes Dons 1-2Sheffield United
Fulham 2-5Sad County
Liverpool2-1 Swansea
Shrewsbury Town 1–2Chelsea
According to Bongdaplus
