Tosin Adarabioyo held his nerve from 12 yards to seal Fulham’s Carabao Cup semi-final spot with a shootout win over Everton following a 1-1 draw at Goodison Park.
Adarabioyo’s spot-kick settled a marathon shootout, with 13 of 16 penalties scored before Idrissa Gana Gueye rattled the post in sudden death, allowing the Fulham centre-back to secure the Cottagers’ progression.
Fulham had led a largely uneventful game from the 41st minute to the 82nd – despite failing to register a single shot on target in the opening half – thanks to Michael Keane’s clumsy own goal.
They looked certain to reach the final four with time ticking away until substitute Beto’s late header from a loose ball which deflected kindly into his path to set up the shoot-out.
Amadou Onana could have sent Everton through with the Toffees’ fifth spot kick but his dreadful penalty was easily saved by Bernd Leno.
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Four perfect strikes followed from the visitors, with Adarabioyo’s composed finish setting up Fulham’s first-ever League Cup semi-final appearance in the new year.
They will find out their opponents on Wednesday, live on Sky Sports Football, at the conclusion of the televised Liverpool vs West Ham game.
How Fulham’s famous night unfolded
Marco Silva chose to rotate more than his counterpart with five changes to the side soundly beaten at Newcastle, and Sean Dyche’s more familiar Everton side controlled most of the first half at Goodison Park.
Chances would come at a premium all night and especially in the opening stages, with Jarrad Branthwaite’s tame header on the half-hour mark forcing the first save of the match, after Dwight McNeil had blazed over from a promising position earlier on.
Though that would remain the only shot on target of the opening period, Fulham still managed to take the lead before the break when Antonee Robinson’s cross was chested into his own goal by Keane, who was slow to adjust his body and left Jordan Pickford helpless.
The Fulham goal had a lucky escape moments before the interval when James Garner’s curled free-kick was missed by both Everton centre-backs and shaved the far post with Bernd Leno well beaten.
But there were few other moments to trouble the Cottagers goalkeeper, despite Everton’s continued dominance after the break.
Jack Harrison lashed a shot wide while Alex Iwobi finally registered Fulham’s one and only shot on target of the night from a short corner against his old club, with Fulham looking increasingly likely to progress as the clock ticked down.
The manner of Everton’s late equaliser to deny them over 90 minutes was fitting with the attritional feel of the game, with Amadou Onana’s shot deflected up above him by Robinson, allowing the substitute to nod past a stranded Leno.
Bobby De Cordova-Reid’s saved spot kick gave Onana the chance to send Everton through to the final four themselves, only for his terrible penalty to roll straight into the goalkeeper’s arms.
Seven perfect penalties came and went before Gueye struck the frame of the woodwork – the only penalty of the shoot-out to miss the target – and Adarabioyo sent Fulham to Wembley.
What’s next?
Everton travel to London on Saturday to face Spurs at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, kick-off 3pm. They then host Premier League title holders Manchester City on December 27, kick-off 8.15pm.
Fulham are at home to Burnley on Saturday, kick-off 3pm. They then head down to the south coast on Boxing Day to face Bournemouth, kick-off 3pm.
Source : Sky Sports
