If there was any debate around how important the League Cup still was to Liverpool this season, it was confirmed with quite the statement here against West Ham United.
With a visit from Arsenal to come in a battle of the Premier League's leading lights on Saturday evening, the visit of the Hammers for this quarter-final tie appeared, on first glance, like an inconvenience for a team who have quite suddenly found themselves embroiled in a fight for the title since they booked their passage for this stage at the start of November at Bournemouth.
But while the chance to sit at the top of the tree of English football for Christmas Day is a presentable one for Jurgen Klopp this weekend, the manager ensured he picked the right blend to the point where they are now heading into the weekend as firm favourites for the Carabao Cup also.
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Now into the last four courtesy of this emphatic 5-1 victory over David Moyes's side, the Reds will meet Fulham over the two legs for a place at Wembley on February 25.
Klopp knows full well about the value of this competition beyond the winners' medals and the trophy in the cabinet. It was nearly two years ago that the Reds snared a record ninth win, on penalties against Chelsea, to fuel talk of a quadruple charge for the remainder of that season. A subsequent feelgood factor was wrapped around the entire club and chatter started to emerge about a new contract for the manager that was later signed in April en route to 92 Premier League points and a Champions League final spot.
The opportunity to provide a similar injection of
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