Capital One Cup 2014-15: Semi-Final Schedule, Draw and Updated League Cup Odds
The Capital One Cup has reached the semi-final stage, with three of the Premier League's biggest clubs still involved in the competition.
The draw was made on Wednesday night and pitted north London team Tottenham Hotspur against South Yorkshire club Sheffield United, with the glamour tie of the last-four taking place between Chelsea and Merseyside giants, Liverpool.
The two-legged ties will commence on the week of January 19, with the second legs to follow one week later.
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Here is the full draw for the semi-finals, with updated odds for the trophy winners:
| TBD | Tottenham | v | Sheffield United |
| TBD | Liverpool | v | Chelsea |
| TBD | Sheffield United | v | Tottenham |
| TBD | Chelsea | v | Liverpool |
| Chelsea | 10-11 |
| Liverpool | 9-2 |
| Tottenham | 5-1 |
| Sheffield United | 33-1 |
Chelsea v Liverpool
If Brendan Rodgers really wanted to rescue something from his abysmal season this term, the last team he would have wanted to draw from the hat was Jose Mourinho's Chelsea.
The out-of-form Anfield club cruised through to the semi-finals after defeating Championship high-flyers Bournemouth, winning 3-1 away.
The cup certainly offers Liverpool some vital respite from the chores of the Premier League, where they sit in just 13th place in the current form guide.
Chelsea once again looked in tremendous form as they brushed past Championship play-off hopefuls Derby County.
Mourinho's squad is looking in great shape going into the Christmas period and no side will want to come up against them in a two-legged affair.
TalkSport's Ian Abrahams highlighted this fact as the draw was made, and Tottenham avoided a possible London derby:
In reality, the League Cup could now be the competition that keeps Rodgers his job. A win against Chelsea in four weeks time will reignite belief in him and the team, but the manager must make it through the next month with a more favourable set of results to his name.
Mourinho has always been a coach who respects the cup competitions in England, and he often fields strong teams throughout the tournaments.
Football pundit and former Blues defender, Graeme Le Saux, testified to this fact recently, as reported per Matt McGeehan of the Mail Online:
"It was the first trophy he [Mourinho] won with Chelsea. I'm sure he enjoyed that experience so much and once you've tasted it you want to experience it again. It's something that I'm sure they're as focused on as all the other competitions they're in.
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Liverpool go into the semis as huge underdogs, but Rodgers will feel more comfortable in this role—with minimal pressure on his side.
Mourinho loves a battle with the Merseysiders and will be only too happy to put them out of the competition, leaving his former pupil, Rodgers, in dire straits.
Tottenham v Sheffield United
Mauricio Pochettino has not found life at White Hart Lane plain sailing since he defected from Southampton to Tottenham, but he now seems to be steadying the ship, with his team gaining credibility.
The north London side destroyed Newcastle 4-0 to progress and, like Liverpool, the cup competitions are certainly Spurs' best chance of a trophy.
But giant-killing acts are a regular occurrence in English football, and Sheffield United will be hoping to relive their former Premier League days with a famous win in this North v South battle.
They have already performed their own shock in the cup, as they dumped out Southampton from the competition.
The Blades are hoping to regain their Championship status this term and currently sit in fifth position in League One, per BBC Sport.
This tournament can sometimes be an unwelcome distraction for lower-division teams as they look to prioritise their resources, but Nigel Clough will be delighted to mix it up with three of the biggest sides in the land.
The competition now looks like it already has Chelsea's name on its trophy, and they will feel comfortable playing Spurs or Sheffield United in the final, if they can leapfrog over Liverpool. The Blues have lost a modicum of their top form in recent weeks but with their squad looking so deep—they look imperious.
But Rodgers and his team are the wild card in the Capital One Cup. No one expects them to make it to the final, so they have all the motivation they need to show their detractors they are still a force.
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