Fulham have secured their place in the EFL Cup semi-finals for the first time in their history after beating Everton 7-6 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in 90 minutes on Tuesday night.
A first-half own goal from Michael Keane put the Cottagers in front at Goodison Park before substitute Beto restored parity for the Toffees eight minutes from time to take the closely-fought encounter to penalties.
Thirteen of the first 15 penalties were scored before Everton's Idrissa Gueye rattled the post with his effort from 12 yards, and Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo stepped up to slot home the winning spot kick to ensure that Marco Silva's side are in the hat for Wednesday's semi-final draw.
Fulham make five changes to the side beaten 3-0 at Newcastle United last weekend, with Silva handing each of Kenny Tete, Calvin Bassey, Harrison Reed, Willian and Rodrigo Muniz a start on Merseyside, the latter of whom replaced the suspended Raul Jimenez.
Sean Dyche, meanwhile, named a strong XI and made two enforced changes to the lineup that beat Burnley 2-0 last time out, with injured duo Abdoulaye Doucoure and Ben Godfrey replaced by Gueye and Jarrad Branthwaite, who played at left-back.
Both teams made a slow start to the contest as not a single shot was registered in the opening 20 minutes, but Everton gradually grew into the game and carved out opportunities from Dwight McNeil, James Tarkowski, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Branthwaite.
The latter came closest to opening the scoring for the hosts when he met an inviting cross from Jack Harrison, but the defender could only head his effort straight into the grasp of Bernd Leno.
Just as Everton looked to be on top, Fulham took the lead against the run of play on the counter-attack when Willian and Antonee Robinson combined down the left flank before the latter fired a cross towards Toffees defender Keane, who diverted the ball beyond Jordan Pickford into his own net.
There was a lengthy delay at the start of the second half after Nathan Patterson and Willian clashed heads during an aerial challenge, with the former booked as a result, and shortly after play resumed, Harrison unleashed a wonderful effort from range that fizzed narrowly wide before Harry Wilson fired a half-volley off target at the other end.
Fulham were somewhat fortunate to keep 11 men on the pitch as Tete, already on a booking, handled the ball on the ground after the right-back thought he had won a foul, but the Dutchman avoided a second yellow from referee Graham Scott.
Willian was unable to continue following his earlier knock to the head and was replaced by Tom Cairney, while Dyche opted to change personnel in attack and swapped Beto for Calvert-Lewin.
Beto threw himself straight into the action and initially had a decent effort well saved by Bernd Leno, but the Portuguese striker then benefitted from some penalty-box pinball to head home an 82nd-minute equaliser after Fulham failed to clear their lines.
Fulham responded by bringing on striker Carlos Vinicius in an attempt to net a late winner and prevent a penalty shootout, but it was Everton who came closest to scoring in the dying embers when substitute Arnaut Danjuma fired a volley wide.
Neither side could be separated in normal time and there was nothing to split the two teams in the first seven penalties of the shootout until Bobby De-Cordova Reid and Amadou Onana had two tame penalties comfortably saved by Jordan Pickford and Leno respectively.
Six more penalties were then converted in sudden death as Gueye stepped up from 12 yards, but the Toffees midfielder struck his effort against the post before Adarabiyoyo became the hero for Fulham by rolling his strike into the bottom corner to send the Fulham away support into pandemonium.
Silva's side will now shift their focus to Saturday's Premier League clash against Burnley at Craven Cottage, while Everton will look to shake off the disappointment of their EFL Cup elimination when they travel to North London to face Tottenham Hotspur. body check tags ::
