Liverpool's League Cup history

WHILE Cherries will be hoping to reach the semi-final for the first time in their history, Liverpool will be looking to take another step towards a 12th final.

Winners of the competition on eight occasions and runners-up three times, the Reds have the best League Cup record in the country by some distance.

Their domination of the League Cup in the early 1980s started in inauspicious fashion when they went down 1-0 at Bradford City in the first leg of the second round.

However, after seeing off the Bantams 4-0 at Anfield in the second leg, they never looked back and went on to win the cup for four years in succession between 1981 and 1984.

During that glorious era in the club’s history, Liverpool also won the European Cup in 1984 together with three of their 17 league titles in 1982, 1983 and 1984.

Liverpool needed replays to overcome West Ham in 1981 and Everton in 1984, and triumphed in extra-time against both Spurs (1982) and Manchester United (1983).

More recent successes in the League Cup have seen Liverpool involved in two of only three finals to have been settled on penalties – against Birmingham in 2001 and Cardiff in 2012.

Cherries' League Cup history

CHERRIES’ exploits in the League Cup this season have seen them write a new chapter in the Dean Court record books.

Victory over West Brom in the fourth round in October saw them reach the quarter-finals for the first time in their history.

And their 3-0 win at Cardiff City in September ensured the Dorset club would book a place in the fourth round for only the third time – and ended a 51-year wait to progress to the last 16.

Cherries first reached the fourth round in 1961 having registered a 3-0 win over Cardiff thanks to goals from Ray Bumstead, Billy Coxon and Dickie Dowsett. But Bill McGarry’s team exited at the next hurdle following a 1-0 defeat at York City.

Two years later, and having seen off opposition from the division above in the shape of Newcastle, Cherries were handed a trip to top-flight Stoke City in the fourth round and Reg Flewin’s men were beaten 2-1 at the Victoria Ground in the first competitive meeting between the clubs.

A dismal run in the competition then saw them reach the third round only once in the next 23 seasons – in 1969-70 when they lost 2-0 at home to Leicester.

Their poor record of failing to reach the third round ended in 1987-88 when victory over Southampton over two legs set up a trip to Arsenal, which resulted in a 3-0 defeat.

Cherries also made the third round and lost in 1989-90 (Sunderland), 1998-99 (Barnsley), 1999-00 (West Ham) and 2004-05 (Cardiff).