Emile Heskey was controversially sent off in the dying minutes of extra-time at Anfield as Liverpool battled their way into the League Cup fourth round. The incident overshadowed Robbie Fowler's winner, his first goal since December 1999.
Heskey had been booked earlier in extra-time, but with two minutes left reacted angrily to a two-footed tackle from Marcel Desailly.
As Heskey waited in the box for the resulting throw-in, it looked as if he was caught by Winstone Bogarde's arm, and reacted by pushing the Chelsea player.
The incident was spotted by a linesman who called over referee Rob Harris, who brandished a second yellow and then a red card. Heskey continued to argue with the official before being led away by colleagues. Earlier, Fowler chose the perfect time to end his 11-month goal drought to send Liverpool through in a match that threatened to boil over with several unsavoury incidents.
After hitting the post during normal time, Fowler struck in the 113th minute to clinch a hard-fought victory and a clash with Stoke in the next round.
At times the whole thing was hugely congested in midfield, but Liverpool had the edge with some highly competitive tackling and it took Chelsea a long time to get to grips with that element of the game, but when they did the match developed into a very entertaining affair.
Liverpool's strength in the tackle was instrumental in them taking an 11th minute lead. Patrik Berger won possession, and although his forward pass was cut out, Dietmar Hamann reclaimed the ball and with a superb 30 yard pass, found Danny Murphy clear on the left. The midfielder took two strides and lashed a low drive just inside the far post, leaving Ed de Goey well beaten.
But Chelsea found themselves level with their first chance of the match on 28 minutes. Celestine Babayaro was played in behind Jamie Carragher on the left, and his fine cross found Gianfranco Zola unmarked in the six-yard box, and he rose to plant a firm header past Pegguy Arphexad.
Where the first half had been clever, neat and skilled, the second had far more spite about it. Tackles got wilder, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Celestine Babayaro far from happy about late lunges by Hamann and Carragher.
Fowler almost put Liverpool ahead on 76 minutes with a shot that smacked against the foot of a post from a fine Murphy pass.
However, in extra time, Berger's astute pass into the box was collected by Fowler, and this time his low shot found the net before he was buried under a mass of delighted colleagues.
Liverpool: Arphexad, Henchoz, Smicer (Heskey 73), Fowler, Hyypia, Murphy, Berger, Hamann, Barmby (McAllister 94), Carragher, Traore (Ziege 85). Subs not used: Westerveld, Song. Sent off: Heskey (120). Booked: Traore, Murphy, Heskey, Hamann. Goals: Murphy 11, Fowler 113.
Chelsea: de Goey, Babayaro (Gudjohnsen 65), Desailly, Bogarde, Hasselbaink, Jokanovic, Wise, Melchiot, Flo (Poyet 81), Zola, Terry (Morris 87). Subs not used: Cudicini, Dalla Bona. Booked: Jokanovic. Goal: Zola 29.
Referee: R Harris (Oxford).
