Liverpool held their nerve to win an astonishing penalty shoot-out 11-10 and edge out Chelsea in the English League Cup final on Sunday after a rip-roaring contest had somehow ended 0-0 after extra time at Wembley.
Rewind five years and Liverpool hosted Chelsea with three games remaining, knowing victory would have left them six points clear and a first league title since 1990 almost secure.
Juergen Klopp's side, chasing their maiden title in the Premier League era and first in the top flight in 30 years, took a 14th-minute lead from a Virgil van Dijk header but had to wait until stoppage time to put the game to bed through Mohamed Salah.
Manchester City came from behind twice to earn a 2-2 draw with Liverpool in a breathless and pulsating Premier League encounter, at Anfield, on Sunday. All four goals came in the second half.
first English title for 30 years had been sealed almost a month ago with seven games remaining, following a three-month stoppage because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Images from EPL matches played on Wednesday
'They were better than us for some spells and we know what awaits us over there' Valverde pointed to his team's sensational exit from last year's competition to AS Roma after a 4-1 cushion from the first leg and said they would be taking nothing for granted in Tuesday's return game at Anfield.
Arsenal squeezed past Liverpool 5-4 on penalties to advance to the League Cup quarter-finals on Thursday after a goalless 90 minutes.
Liverpool analysts had watched how Barcelona players were always distracted when decisions went against them and word was passed down to Carl Lancaster, a coaching mentor at the club's academy, who asked the ball boys to serve their players quickly.
Images from the English Premier League matches played on Saturday.
Real Madrid saw off a stirring Chelsea fightback to book their place in the Champions League semi-finals following a 3-2 defeat after extra time in a scintillating second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday to go through 5-4 on aggregate.
Jota's header earned the three points but it was a struggle in the rain for Juergen Klopp's side who looked uneasy at the back without the injured Virgil van Dijk.
The return leg will be played at Ajax's Johan Cruyff Arena on May 8.
European champions Liverpool are second in their Champions League group - a point behind Napoli - and Klopp's side host Genk at Anfield.
The first leg, originally scheduled to be held at the Red Bull Arena in Germany, was shifted to Budapest after German authorities denied Liverpool entry into the country due to COVID-19 protocols.
Roberto Firmino struck a stoppage-time winner as Liverpool beat Paris St Germain 3-2 at Anfield on Tuesday after Kylian Mbappe looked to have secured a point for the French side in a compelling Champions League Group C clash.
A round-up of Sunday night's matches in the Premier League.
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The three Premier League and three La Liga clubs in the last eight avoided each other, with Manchester City up against Atletico Madrid and Liverpool to face Portuguese side Benfica.
Images from the English Premier League matches on Saturday.
Liverpool frustrated by 10-man Arsenal in League Cup semi stalemate
The match lived up to its billing right from the start
Images from the English Premier League matches played on Saturday
As Manchester City fans left Goodison Park after a 2-0 victory over Everton on Wednesday that sent their team back to the top of the Premier League, they aimed their chants across adjacent Stanley Park to title rivals Liverpool.
Champions Liverpool suffered a shock 1-0 defeat to lowly Burnley on Thursday, ending their 68 match unbeaten home record in the Premier League as their title defence continued to fade.
Liverpool, who are fifth in the table and have won just one league game since the turn of the year, host fourth-placed Arsenal on Saturday looking to bounce back immediately from one of their worst performances of the season.
Images from the UEFA Champions League group matches played on Wednesday night.
The win allowed second-placed Liverpool to close the gap on league leaders Manchester City to two points.
Images from Saturday's action in the Premier League.
Klopp and his City counterpart Pep Guardiola were satisfied with their team's displays in a tight, tactical encounter which finished 0-0 at Anfield, but the German was clearly frustrated to now lose his players for international duty.
Manchester City's hopes of closing the gap on the Premier League pacesetters were frustrated as they were held to a 1-1 draw at home to lowly West Bromwich Albion on Tuesday.
Images from the English Premier League matches played on Saturday.
Liverpool will be without forwards Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino when they face Barcelona in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final as they look to overturn a 3-0 deficit, manager Juergen Klopp said on Monday.
Manchester United moved three points clear at the top of the Premier League after a Paul Pogba goal gave them a hard-fought 1-0 win over Burnley at a freezing Turf Moor on Tuesday.
Hazard extra-time goal sends 10-man Real Madrid through to Copa del Rey final.
'The run of titles that we won under Sir Alex, I don't think that's going to be easy for anyone to emulate or copy'
Inter, Liverpool sweating on last-16 spots
Real Madrid moved into the semi-finals of the Champions League after their makeshift defence held on for 0-0 second-leg draw with Liverpool at Anfield on Wednesday to complete a 3-1 aggregate win.
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