The Premier League 2 playoff semi-finals have been confirmed following four thrilling quarter-final matches.
Tottenham Hotspur secured their place with a dramatic 5-4 penalty shootout win over Liverpool, after the match had ended 3-3.
Chelsea edged a five-goal thriller with London rivals Arsenal thanks to a hat-trick from Diego Moreira, while Reading earned a 3-1 success over Nottingham Forest and Sunderland overcame West Ham United 5-3 on penalties following a 3-3 draw.
Spurs will now take on Chelsea in the last four, while Reading will face Sunderland.
The semi-finals will take place between 17-20 May, with the final scheduled for 24-27 May.
PL2 quarter-final results
Spurs 3-3 Liverpool (Spurs win 5-4 on pens)
Lewis Koumas had given Liverpool an 11th-minute lead, before Spurs struck twice in the space of 10 minutes, as Jamie Donley equalised with an outrageous effort from 40 yards (below) and Tyrese Hall made it 2-1 on 36 minutes.
Hall struck again two minutes after the break and Spurs appeared to be in control, but Dante Cassanova put through his own net before James Norris made it 3-3.
Nile John, Will Lankshear, Hall, George Abbott and Jude Soonsup-Bell all kept their composure to convert from 12 yards, before Luca Gunter made the decisive save to keep out James Norris’ spot-kick at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Incredible from Jamie Donley 🤌 pic.twitter.com/LLff8lDoJ7
— Tottenham Hotspur Academy (@Spurs_Academy) May 12, 2024
See: Spurs PL2 report
Arsenal 2-3 Chelsea
Myles Lewis-Skelly had put Arsenal ahead on 13 minutes, but Chelsea were back level in first-half stoppage time thanks to Moreira who fired in.
The Gunners restored their lead on 54 minutes through Nathan Butler-Oyedeji’s strike but Moreira struck his second equaliser of the match.
Moreira then completed his treble in the sixth minute of stoppage time, finding the top corner, to seal a dramatic comeback win and send Chelsea through.
See: Chelsea PL2 report
Reading 3-1 Nott'm Forest
Jayden Wareham put Reading ahead from the penalty spot with just nine minutes played, before they doubled their lead shortly after the half hour when John Clarke bagged his first of the match, having hit the woodwork moments before.
However, Esapa Osong gave Forest hope when he netted six minutes before half-time.
Both sides had their chances in the second half, but it was Reading who struck again with Clarke heading in his second to seal the win.
See: Reading PL2 report
Sunderland 3-3 West Ham (Sunderland win 5-3 on pens)
Gideon Kodua gave West Ham the lead just before half-time but Ellis Taylor sent the match to extra-time with a late equaliser.
The Hammers went ahead twice in extra-time through Patrick Kelly and Callum Marshall, only for Caden Kelly and Tom Watson to level, with the latter scoring in the 119th minute.
Sunderland scored all five of their penalties in the shootout, but Keenan Appiah-Forson missed West Ham's fourth penalty as the Black Cats progressed.
