By Fatma Younis
Liverpool have been drawn against Bournemouth in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals, pairing manager Andoni Iraola with his former club in what he described as his worst-case scenario.
Iraola's Reaction to Draw
Iraola revealed he had hoped to avoid Bournemouth, saying before the draw: "The only team that I don't want is Bournemouth." He acknowledged the Cherries know him well and are in good form, but accepted the fixture. The tie will be played at Anfield.
Penalty Shootout Victory Over Chelsea
Liverpool reached the quarter-finals after beating Chelsea 6-5 on penalties following a 1-1 draw. Joe Gomez scored the decisive spot-kick in the shoot-out, his first goal in 280 appearances for the club. Morgan Rogers and Cody Gakpo had exchanged penalties late in the first half.
Season of Reunions for Iraola
This season has already seen Iraola face friend and former team-mate Inigo Perez in the Champions League and fellow Basque Xabi Alonso, with whom he has been close since youth. He also won on his first return to the Vitality Stadium earlier in the campaign.
Alonso's Third Successive Anfield Defeat
For Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso, the loss marked his third consecutive defeat at Anfield as a manager, having previously lost with Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid without scoring. Alonso fielded a near full-strength side but accepted the result as a minor setback, with focus shifting to the Premier League match against Manchester United.
