Liverpool defeated Chelsea 6–5 on penalties after a 1–1 draw at Anfield, while holders Manchester City overcame Brighton 4–3 from the spot following a 2–2 draw at the Etihad Stadium.
Both matches went down to the wire, with goalkeepers Giorgi Mamardashvili and Geronimo Rulli playing decisive roles in helping their teams progress to the last eight.
Liverpool Eliminate Chelsea in Dramatic Shoot-Out
Liverpool edged Chelsea 6–5 on penalties after the teams could not be separated during normal time at Anfield.
Chelsea took the lead in the 40th minute when Morgan Rogers converted a penalty after Ryan Gravenberch fouled Moisés Caicedo.
Liverpool responded just three minutes later. Cody Gakpo converted from the spot after Wesley Fofana handled the ball, restoring parity before half-time.
Both teams created opportunities after the break but failed to find a winner, sending the contest into a penalty shoot-out.
The shoot-out featured several dramatic twists. Chelsea goalkeeper Mike Penders saved Ryan Gravenberch’s penalty, while Liverpool's Kostas Tsimikas missed an opportunity to seal victory.
Mamardashvili then kept Liverpool in contention by saving Emmanuel Emegha’s effort. Joe Gomez converted for the hosts before Fofana sent Chelsea’s decisive penalty over the crossbar.
Liverpool's 6–5 shoot-out victory secured their place in the quarter-finals and ended Chelsea’s hopes of winning the competition this season.
The result also marked another difficult return to Anfield for Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso, who suffered his third defeat there as a manager.
Rulli Helps Manchester City Overcome Brighton
Manchester City also needed penalties to progress after being held to a 2–2 draw by Brighton at the Etihad Stadium.
Brighton took the lead in the 30th minute when Malick Yalcouye turned Georginio Rutter’s effort past goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli.
City equalised shortly before half-time through Mateo Kovacic, whose powerful strike from distance found the far corner.
Brighton regained the advantage two minutes after the restart, with Rutter finishing Jaouen Hadjam’s cut-back.
The visitors threatened to extend their lead, but City recovered when Rayan Cherki’s 72nd-minute free-kick was deflected into the net by Vitor Reis.
Neither side could find a decisive goal before the penalty shoot-out.
Kovacic saw his penalty saved by Jason Steele, leaving City under pressure. However, Rulli rose to the occasion by saving efforts from Yasin Ayari and Lewis Dunk.
Manchester City converted four of their five penalties to secure a 4–3 shoot-out victory and continue their defence of the trophy.
Bournemouth and Bradford Await Quarter-Final Ties
Liverpool will host Bournemouth in the quarter-finals after the Cherries defeated Aston Villa 3–0.
Manchester City, meanwhile, will welcome Bradford City to the Etihad Stadium as they continue their bid to retain the competition.
Sunderland will face Crystal Palace after beating Brentford 3–2, while Fleetwood Town will host either Everton or Newcastle United following their remarkable penalty-shoot-out victory over Arsenal.
The quarter-final draw offers Liverpool and City another opportunity to move closer to silverware, but both sides will know that Wednesday's matches demonstrated how quickly their cup ambitions could have ended.
Liverpool and City Keep Trophy Hopes Alive
Liverpool's victory keeps their hopes of adding to their record 10 League Cup titles alive, while Manchester City remain on course to defend the trophy they currently hold.
For Chelsea and Brighton, the defeats bring their campaigns to an end in the competition despite competitive performances against two of English football's leading sides.
With the quarter-finals approaching, Liverpool and City will now turn their attention to the next stage, knowing that another victory would put them within reach of a place in the semi-finals.