Five of eight EFL Cup quarterfinalists are set with three matches to come on Wednesday.
Liverpool, Arsenal, Newcastle United, and Hull City clinched spots in the quarterfinals with Tuesday wins. Leeds United took the fifth spot with a rousing match that ended in penalty kicks.
[ MORE: Ballon d’Or omissions ]
Wednesday will see Manchester United vs. Manchester City, West Ham against Chelsea, and Southampton versus Sunderland.
United States men Cameron Carter-Vickers (Spurs) and DeAndre Yedlin (Newcastle) started their respective matches. Gedion Zelalem played the final 10 minutes for Arsenal.
Arsenal 2-0 Reading
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scored with a hard, low shot from a tight angle to give the hosts a lead, and then buttressed the score with a second half marker. Zelalem then replace “Ox” in the 80th minute.
GOAAAL! It's @Arsenal who has scored first on @ReadingFC with @Alex_OxChambo on the score sheet. #EFLCup https://t.co/fg3yoXEwF0
— beIN SPORTS USA (@beINSPORTSUSA) October 25, 2016
Newcastle United 6-0 Preston North End
The “Rafalution” has Benitez’s Magpies atop the Championship, and they are thriving in the EFL Cup as well.
Mo Diame gave Newcastle an insurance goal after Aleksandar Mitrovic headed a Matt Ritchie free kick home to make it 1-0. In between those goals, Preston went down a man.
Spark plug Ritchie buried a penalty early in the second half to make it academic. Mitrovic added his second in the 55th minute, while Diame completed his brace with three minutes to play and Ayoze Perez finished the scoring in stoppage time.
Liverpool 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur
Daniel Sturridge went to the dirty areas to poke home a very Daniel Sturridge goal, the first of two on the night in a win at Anfield.
Sturridge gave American centerback Cameron Carter-Vickers headaches all day, and Spurs goalkeeper Michel Vorm helped keep the match within a goal.
But Sturridge beat Kevin Wimmer’s offside track and walked in alone on Vorm to slot home for a strengthened lead.
A soft penalty off an Erik Lamela dive gifted Spurs the chance to draw within one, and Vincent Janssen converted the opportunity.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 25: Daniel Sturridge of Liverpool (C) celebrates scoring his sides first goal with his Liverpool team mates during the EFL Cup fourth round match between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield on October 25, 2016 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)
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Bristol City 1-2 Hull City
There wasn’t much to like at Ashton Gate before Harry Maguire put the Tigers up before the break. That may have weakened the hosts’ resolve, and Michael Dawson netted right after halftime to double Hull’s advantage.
Lee Tomlin scored a goal for Bristol City just before the final whistle.
2009 - Michael Dawson has scored his first League Cup goal since January 2009 (for Spurs v Burnley). Wait.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) October 25, 2016
Leeds United 2-2 Norwich City (PKs, 3-2)
Longtime Spurs property Alex Pritchard has his first Canaries goal with this marker at Elland Road. Leeds had a goal pulled back for a handball, and then equalized properly through Marcus Antonsson. That 1-1 score line held up through 90 minutes
Pritchard then provided the assist on Nelson Oliveira’s extra time winner, but Garry Monk’s men responded through New Zealand striker Chris Wood to push it toward penalties.
Leeds advanced by converting three penalties to Norwich’s two.
GOAAAL! @NorwichCityFC grab the lead with a fantastic counter attack from their own half. #beINEFLCup https://t.co/8gNYrcUva7
— beIN SPORTS USA (@beINSPORTSUSA) October 25, 2016