THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
LONDON — Chelsea was dumped out of the Carling Cup on penalty kicks by lower-league Burnley, while defending champion Tottenham advanced to the quarter-finals with a 4-2 victory over Liverpool on Wednesday.
Didier Drogba put English Premier League leader Chelsea ahead with his first goal of the season in the 27th minute, but Burnley striker Ade Akinbiyi equalized in the 70th to send the fourth-round fixture into extra time. Burnley prevailed 5-4 on penalty kicks with goalkeeper Brian Jensen saving from Wayne Bridge and John Mikel Obi.
Tottenham strikers Roman Pavlyuchenko and Fraizer Campbell each scored twice in the space of 15 minutes either side of the break to continue Harry Redknapp’s unbeaten six-match run since being tasked with reviving an ailing Spurs side last month.
Blackburn, which beat Spurs in the 2002 final, advanced from the fourth round with a 2-1 victory at Sunderland.
Luiz Felipe Scolari’s Chelsea suffered a setback just before Drogba’s opener when an injury to Juliano Belletti forced him to send on Frank Lampard.
But it was Lampard’s precision pass that released Drogba on a run that led to the curling goal in his first start in six weeks.
Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic squandered two headers, one went over the crossbar before the break and another went over in the 55th.
Scolari had only just replaced Drogba with 19-year-old Frano Di Santo when goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini only managed to parry a shot from Chris Eagles and the substitute Akinbiyi pounced to equalize.
Di Santo, who missed two golden opportunities to send Chelsea through, went off with an injury three minutes into extra time — forcing Chelsea to play with 10 men because Scolari had used all of his substitutes.
However, the numbers were evened four minutes before the shootout when Stephen Caldwell was sent off for a second bookable offence after blocking Florent Malouda.
On penalties, Burnley claimed the only shock of the round to join Arsenal, Manchester United, Stoke, Watford and Derby in Saturday’s draw.
Just as Redknapp had desired, Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez made 10 changes from the side that beat West Brom in the Premier League on Saturday.
Although Benitez expected more with star striker Fernando Torres — in his first start in more than a month — joining a host of international names, the Spaniard can now focus on winning the club’s first league title since 1990.
"I’m disappointed because I want to win every game and we came here with a lot of players with quality to win," Benitez said. "But if you can’t keep playing with the same squad you have to think about other priorities — the Premier League and the Champions League, then the FA Cup."
.After a disjointed 38 minutes, Pavlyuchenko sparked a thrilling conclusion to the half when the Russian swept home after Campbell cut the ball back.
Within four minutes, Campbell scored the first goal of his loan spell from Manchester United after confusion in Liverpool’s defence. Andrea Dossena cut across goalkeeper Diego Cavalieri’s vision as Campbell headed on Jamie O’Hara’s deep pass.
Campbell had waited two months to open his Spurs account, and added another on the stroke of halftime with a diving header from Aaron Lennon’s cross.
"Young Fraizer has been great, worked hard and you can see why (United manager) Alex Ferguson doesn’t want to sell him," Redknapp said.
Damien Plessis gave hope of another Liverpool comeback in the 49th after nodding in Ryan Babel’s corner.
But Didier Zokora was given space to race down the left flank three minutes later, and square to Pavlyuchenko, who restored Tottenham’s three-goal advantage.
Spurs goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes, who had been culpable for the visitor’s first goal, gave them another route back into the match in the 63rd. The Brazilian raced off the line and failed to punch Babel’s corner clear, giving Sami Hyypia a routine header.
Gomes’ collision with Phillipp Degen in the 68th took the gloss off the victory. Although Gomes was carried off the White Hart Lane pitch after receiving five minutes of treatment, he didn’t require hospital treatment and should be fit for Saturday’s match at Fulham.
At Sunderland, it took Blackburn striker Roque Santa-Cruz’s arrival in the 62nd to break the deadlock within three minutes, heading home Martin Olsson’s left cross from point-blank range.
Blackburn went 2-up in the 70th, when Phil Bardsley turned Matt Derbyshire’s cross, which had been pushed on by goalkeeper Marton Fulop, into his own net.
Despite Kenwyne Jones pulling one back inside a minute, Sunderland could find no way back.