Sterling shines as Liverpool set up League Cup semi with Chelsea

Published December 19, 2014
LONDON: Newcastle United’s goalkeeper Jak Alnwick punches the ball clear during their League Cup quarter-final against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane.—AFP
LONDON: Newcastle United’s goalkeeper Jak Alnwick punches the ball clear during their League Cup quarter-final against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane.—AFP

LONDON: Liverpool’s Raheem Sterling netted a sharply-taken double in a 3-1 win over Bournemouth on Wednesday to set up a League Cup semi-final with Chelsea as Tottenham Hotspur strolled into the last four with a 4-0 rout of Newcastle United.

Lazar Markovic scored between Sterling’s first goals since September as Liverpool won on the south coast against second-tier opponents to lift the pressure on manager Brendan Rodgers who has endured stinging criticism in recent weeks after they dropped down the Premier League table and crashed out of the Champions League.

“I thought it was a brilliant performance. It was always going to be a difficult job, but we controlled the game. We thoroughly deserved it,” said Rodgers. “It didn’t matter who we got in the draw, it was just important to get there — to win this competition you have to win games against big sides.”

Nabil Bentaleb, Nacer Chadli, Harry Kane and Roberto Soldado scored in Tottenham’s demolition of Premier League rivals Newcastle who conceded four times for the second match in succession after losing 4-1 to Arsenal in north London on Saturday.

In the draw for the two-legged semi-final in January, Tottenham were paired with third-tier side Sheffield United, who upset Southampton to advance on Tuesday.

“We have respect for Sheffield United — it is never easy,” Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino said. “We expect a tough game.”

Published in Dawn, December 19th, 2014

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