The Reds booked their spot in the final of eight of the competition thanks to a 2-1 win over Bournemouth.

Liverpool secured their passage to the quarter-finals of this season’s Carabao Cup, following a hard-fought display against Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.

Cody Gakpo had fired the Reds ahead before Justin Kluivert pulled one back for the hosts. Darwin Nunez then produced a moment of magic to win the tie for Jurgen Klopp’s side, setting up a last-eight clash with West Ham United in the process.

With stormy conditions present throughout the encounter on the south coast, Liverpool can already start to dream of another repeat of their success back in 2021, with fellow Merseysiders Everton also still involved in the competition at this stage.

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‘A moment of such brilliance’

Matt Barlow of the Daily Mail wrote: There was a brief spell on the south coast when the squalls of Storm Ciaran made conditions so freakish and filthy that Liverpool’s quest to win this competition for a tenth time appeared set to become collateral damage.

Bournemouth’s in-swinging corners were threatening to whip straight into the net while attempted clearances swirled high into the sky, held up and blew back from whence they came in comical fashion.

Justin Kluivert had wiped out Cody Gakpo’s opener, and the home side were pushing on, wind-assisted, looking capable and confident of scoring a second and taking the lead until Darwin Nunez produced a moment of such brilliance it seemed to changed the weather.

Nunez was forced wide to the left as a pass from Trent Alexander-Arnold escaped him but the change of angle worked in his favour as he chopped back inside onto his right foot and unleashed a ferocious strike.

It curled, dipped and deceived goalkeeper Andrei Radu and secured his team a place in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup.

‘A magnificent winner’

Ben Fisher, The Guardian wrote: As Jürgen Klopp strapped in for his post-match press conference, Darwin Núñez’s sublime strike which steered Liverpool through to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals where they host West Ham, fresh in his mind, he glanced up at the televisions screens at the back of the room showing the tail-end of Manchester United’s home defeat to Newcastle. “Oooh,” Klopp said, pulling a face as he digested the 3-0 scoreline. Which explains his delight at Liverpool, nine-time winners of the competition, progressing amid filthy conditions.

Midway through the first half, with his snood practically concealing his face in the Liverpool dugout, it was hard to believe Núñez was braced for battle. But Núñez entered on the hour and 10 minutes later registered a magnificent winner to earn a spot in the last eight. Justin Kluivert cancelled out Cody Gakpo’s first-half strike with a simple finish of his own but Núñez’s solo effort was worthy of settling any game.

The swirling wind and rain of Storm Ciarán put paid to Liverpool’s flight home to Merseyside, leaving Klopp and his players to return home via bus. Virgil van Dijk, an unused substitute, high-fived Núñez before he saluted the away end and the weather did not stop Klopp from running over to the travelling supporters to embark on his trademark fist-pump celebration. “It was clear it would be a real storm, windy,” Klopp said. “But it’s really different to play in it. It was really difficult for both teams. Now we drive home, long trip – it was always going to be – but going into the next round feels much better.”

‘Storm Ciaran had done its worse’

Tom Roddy of The Times wrote: Storm Ciarán had done its worst to Liverpool. The wind was gusty, the rain driving, and Bournemouth had used its elements to find an equaliser and further their hopes of continuing in the Carabao Cup. Then Darwin Núñez picked up possession.

One poor touch pushed the substitute wide but the next few were deadly. Núñez shifted past Chris Mepham and, from a wide angle, struck a vicious shot that needed no assistance from the weather as it whipped into the top of Andrei Radu’s net and sent Liverpool into the quarter-finals.

It was Núñez’s fifth goal in six games for club and country, and this was a night that underlined the prolific players Jürgen Klopp has at his disposal. Cody Gakpo had given Liverpool the lead with his fourth goal in as many starts in an attack that also contained Mohamed Salah.

How Andoni Iraola must have envied that, as his side created chances but failed to take them. Justin Kluivert managed his first goal for the club by capitalising on the weather conditions but Bournemouth did not have enough to overcome the 2022 champions.

‘On Liverpool march, through the wind and rain’

Paul Gorst of the Liverpool ECHO wrote: As the Vitality continued to feel the effects of Storm Ciaran, the conditions played their part in Bournemouth’s leveller as a highly swung corner reached Justin Kluivert at the back post. Moments earlier, Klopp had sent on Alexander-Arnold, Nunez and Mac Allister for Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott and Wataru Endo and it was two of the subs who combined to make it 2-1.