Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham reach League Cup semi-finals

LONDON, (Reuters) - A much-changed Chelsea side featuring three teenaged debutants beat Brentford 2-0 yesterday to reach the League Cup semi-finals where they will face London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

An own goal 10 minutes from time by Pontus Jansson broke the deadlock at Brentford before a Jorginho penalty sealed victory for Thomas Tuchel's COVID-hit side.

In a thriller at Anfield, a weakened Liverpool side came back from the brink to beat Leicester City on penalties after a 3-3 draw, setting up a semi-final against Arsenal.

Jamie Vardy's early double gave Leicester a 2-0 lead and James Maddison's rocket shot made it 3-1 after Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain had pulled a goal back.

But Diogo Jota struck in the 68th minute before Takumi Minamino levelled in the sixth minute of stoppage time.

Minamino then spurned a chance to send Liverpool through in the ensuing penalty shoot-out as he blazed his effort over the bar. But Liverpool keeper Caoimhin Kelleher then saved Ryan Bertrand's effort, his second save of the shoot-out, before Jota converted to win it for Liverpool.

Antonio Conte's Tottenham, runners-up to Manchester City last season, made it through to the semis with a 2-1 home win against West Ham United -- all the goals arriving in a five-minute spell in the first half.

Steven Bergwijn slotted in from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's cut back for his first goal of the season but West Ham levelled through Jarrod Bowen's well-taken goal.

Bergwijn then set up Lucas Moura for the winner. Arsenal beat third-tier Sunderland on Tuesday.

"It's good for Tottenham to reach the semi-finals of this competition," Conte, who has changed the mood at Tottenham since taking over, said.