Chelsea suffered another dose of penalty shoot-out misery as Luiz Felipe Scolari’s side were dumped out of the League Cup by Championship club Burnley on Wednesday.
The Blues lost a shoot-out in the Champions League final against Manchester United last season, and their luck clearly hasn’t improved much since as Burnley won 5-4 on penalties to inflict the shock of the season at Stamford Bridge.
Didier Drogba had given Chelsea the lead in the first half but Ade Akinbiyi levelled to send the match into extra-time.
Wade Elliott missed a chance to win the shoot-out for Burnley after Wayne Bridge’s effort was saved by Brian Jensen. But the Burnley keeper pushed away John Obi Mikel’s sudden-death kick to send the Clarets into the quarterfinals.
Drogba was back in the starting line-up for the first time since October 1 after a knee injury he didn’t take long to mark his return with a fine finish from Frank Lampard’s pass in the 27th minute.
It was Drogba’s first goal since April but Chelsea couldn’t kill off the Clarets and Akinbiyi equalised in the 69th minute after Carlo Cudicini had blocked a Chris Eagles effort.
Chelsea had to play most of extra time with 10 men after Franco Di Santo was forced off with an injury with the Blues having already used all three substitutes.
Both sides squandered chances to win it in the additional 30 minutes before Burnley finished with 10 men as well when Steven Caldwell was dismissed for a foul on Florent Malouda.
That set the stage for Jensen’s heroics as Chelsea, fresh from recent defeats to Liverpool and Roma, stumbled to a far more embarrassing defeat.
Tottenham tormented Liverpool again as the League Cup holders stormed into the quarterfinals with a 4-2 win.
Just 11 days after handing Liverpool their first Premier League defeat of the season, Harry Redknapp’s team dumped out the Reds thanks to two goals each from Fraizer Campbell and Roman Pavyluchenko at White Hart Lane.
Redknapp’s remarkable start has now extended to five wins in his first six matches in charge. The damage was done in a rush this time as Spurs blitzed Liverpool with three goals in six minutes.
Russia forward Pavyluchenko got the first in the 38th minute with a clinical finish from Campbell’s cross.
Campbell, on loan from Manchester United, increased Tottenham’s lead four minutes later when he tapped into the empty net after a farcical mix-up between Liverpool keeper Diego Cavalieri and teammate Andrea Dossena.
Tottenham were running riot and a third goal arrived just before half-time when Aaron Lennon’s cross picked out Campbell, who dived full-length to head past the shell-shocked Cavalieri.
It was the first time Liverpool had conceded three goals this season and, although Damien Plessis reduced the deficit in the 49th minute, there was worse to come as Pavlyuchenko volleyed home three minutes later.
Sami Hyypia headed in Liverpool’s second goal after 63 minutes but despite Tottenham goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes being stretchered off in the second half, the hosts cruised through.
Paul Ince got one over former Manchester United teammate Roy Keane as Blackburn beat Sunderland 2-1 at the Stadium of Light.
Ince made seven changes from the team defeated by Chelsea on Sunday but Blackburn broke the deadlock in the 65th minute when Roque Santa Cruz stabbed in Christopher Samba’s flick.
Rovers looked in complete control when Phil Bardsley turned Matt Derbyshire’s cross into his own net in the 70th minute, but Kenwyne Jones set up a tense finale when he scored for Sunderland a minute later. — Sapa-AFP