LONDON (AFP) - Liverpool survived an almighty scare in the League Cup by edging fourth-tier Carlisle United on penalties on Wednesday, while Sheffield dumped Newcastle United out of the tournament.
Carlisle, the lowest-ranked team in the competition, took Liverpool to penalties at Anfield after the game finished 1-1 following extra time, Derek Asamoah having cancelled out Danny Ings' 23rd-minute opener.
Adam Lallana and Philippe Coutinho both saw penalties saved by Mark Gillespie, but reserve goalkeeper Adam Bogdan parried the decisive kick from Carlisle's French forward Bastien Hery to earn Liverpool a 3-2 shootout win and spare manager Brendan Rodgers a humiliating exit.
Liverpool followed Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City in going through and will host Bournemouth in round four.
But while they avoided a defeat that would have recalled their elimination on penalties by Northampton Town at the same stage of the competition five years ago, it was not a result that will enhance Rodgers's position amid speculation about his future at the club.
Liverpool's inefficiency was demonstrated by a shot count that read 47-5 in their favour, while centre-back Dejan Lovren had to be stretchered off after injuring his ankle in extra time.
Newcastle manager Steve McClaren is another manager feeling the heat after his side, who have won none of their first five Premier League games, lost 1-0 at home to Wednesday.
Lewis McGugan scored the game's only goal, beating Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul with a low shot from outside the box in the 76th minute to send Wednesday into round four for the first time since they reached the semi-finals in 2002.
Wednesday's reward was a home tie with Arsenal, who overcame Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 in the north London derby thanks to a brace from unlikely match-winner Mathieu Flamini.
Bidding to avoid three consecutive defeats for the first time since April 2010, Arsenal, who made 10 changes to Spurs' eight, took a 26th-minute lead when French holding midfielder Flamini followed in to score after Michel Vorm parried a long-range shot by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
MARTIAL ON TARGET AGAIN
Spurs were rewarded for a spell of sustained pressure when Calum Chambers poked Nacer Chadli's cross into his own net in the 55th minute, only for Flamini to give Arsenal victory 12 minutes from time with a superb low volley from just outside the box.
Jose Mourinho's Chelsea continued their recent revival by winning 4-1 at third-tier Walsall to record a third consecutive victory.
Missing Diego Costa, who began a three-game ban for striking Arsenal's Laurent Koscielny at the weekend, but with captain John Terry back in the team, Chelsea went 2-0 up when Ramires headed home before teeing up Loic Remy to score.
James O'Connor squeezed a shot past Asmir Begovic to bring Walsall back into the game on the stroke of half-time, but second-half goals from full debutant Kenedy and Pedro Rodriguez completed victory for the visitors.
Chelsea will visit Stoke City in the fourth round.
Anthony Martial's assured start to life at Manchester United continued as the French striker scored his fourth goal in three games in a 3-0 victory against second-tier Ipswich Town at Old Trafford.
Wayne Rooney opened the scoring and 19-year-old Brazilian Andreas Pereira crowned his full debut with a stylish free-kick before substitute Martial found the net in stoppage time with a classy finish into the bottom-right corner.
Next up for Louis van Gaal's United is a home game with second-tier Middlesbrough.
Elsewhere, Jay Rodriguez, Sadio Mane and Shane Long all scored twice as Southampton swept into round four with a 6-0 rout of second-tier Milton Keynes Dons, who conquered Manchester United in last season's competition.
Dwight Gayle claimed a hat-trick, including two penalties, as Crystal Palace beat Charlton Athletic 4-1, while Norwich City beat top-flight rivals West Bromwich Albion 3-0 courtesy of goals from Matt Jarvis, Kyle Lafferty and a Sebastien Pocognoli own goal.
