Brendan Rodgers "relishing" cup tussles with Chelsea

Brendan and Jose will renew acquaintances in the Carling Cup

Liverpool's reward for beating Bournemouth is a two-leged semi-final with Chelsea and the Liverpool boss seems delighted.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has welcomed the Capital One Cup semi-final pairing with Premier League leaders Chelsea.

The Reds earned their first win in five games against Championship leaders Bournemouth in the last eight and Rodgers says he was never concerned with who they got in the semi-final draw.

The other pairing pits Tottenham ,whose most recent League Cup win came in 2008, against League One outfit Sheffield United.

The two-legged ties will be played in the final two weeks of January with the first domestic silverware of the season to be decided at Wembley on March 1.

Rodgers has not won any of the five games against Chelsea since taking over at Anfield in 2012 but that did not stop the Liverpool boss insisting he is looking forward to renewing hostilities with the west Londoners.

"It's over two legs and we'll relish that opportunity. We knew which ever team we got would be a difficult game. It didn't matter who we got in the draw, it was just important to get there," Rodgers declared after two goals from Raheem Sterling helped his side past the Cherries.

Eight-time winners of the League Cup, no side can match Liverpool's record in the competition. The Reds' most recent success came via a penalty shoot-out victory over Cardiff City at Wembley in 2012.

Chelsea's wait for League Cup success stretches back to 2007 when Jose Mourinho was in charge for the first time and his Blues overcame Arsenal at the Millennium Stadium.

A two-legged clash between these sides will inevitably invoke memories of their Champions League semi-final meetings in 2005 and 2007.

Luis Garcia's 'ghost goal' gave Rafael Benitez and Liverpool victory in 2005 before they went on to win the competition in fairytale fashion in Istanbul.

There is little doubt that defeat is still a source of pain for Mourinho, who claims to this day Chelsea were the victims of a 'goal that was not a goal' at Anfield, with video replays appearing to show Garcia's early strike did not cross the goal line.

The second semi-final may not have the chequered history of Liverpool versus Chelsea but it is no less appealing.

Nigel Clough's Blades were thoroughly deserving of their quarter-final win with Southampton despite only having Marc McNulty's second-half goal to show for a dominant performance at Bramall Lane.

That victory marked the fourth time in the last two seasons that Sheffield United have knocked Premier League opposition out of cup competitions.

Clough's side are currently fifth in League One and had not won any of their four league games going into the clash with Southampton.

They do appear to be able to lift their efforts and, with a packed house at Bramall Lane, Clough is already looking forward to what he hoped would be 'special night' for the club when they entertain Spurs in the Steel City.

Tottenham have made serene progress through the League Cup after being handed three homes ties.

Mauricio Pochettino watched his side dispose of Newcastle 4-0 at White Hart Lane on Wednesday to add to victories over Nottingham Forest and Brighton in earlier rounds.

Spurs will be expected to get the better of their lower league opponents over two legs, but the Argentine is taking nothing for granted.

"We have respect for Sheffield United - it is never easy. They deserve to be in the semi-final. We expect a tough game," said Pochettino.