Merseyside rivals kept apart as Liverpool land Stoke semi-final

Liverpool’s city rivals Everton, who have never won the League Cup, face 2014 winners Manchester City in the other semi-final.

Liverpool were the last club to book their place in the last four as Daniel Sturridge marked his first start of the Jurgen Klopp era with a brace in a thumping 6-1 win against Southampton in the only all-Premier League tie of the round.

Liverpool will now make a record 16th appearance in the last four of the competition, while opponents Stoke are through to this stage for the first time since they won the competition in 1972.

Both games will be televised live on Sky Sports. “Well done the boys”.

Stoke overcame Sheffield Wednesday 2-0 thanks to strikes from Ibrahim Afellay and Phil Bardsley, while Everton also beat Championship opposition by the same scoreline.

Gerard Deulofeu and Romelu Lukaku were on target for Roberto Martinez’s men at Middlesbrough.

“Hmmmmmmm! Couldn’t be any tougher! Let’s see if they take their eye off the league cup for champions league involvement”, Ball tweeted.

English League Cup semi-final draw (two-legged ties to be played weeks commencing January 4 and January 25): Everton v Manchester City Stoke City v Liverpool.