It is the business end of the competition as we are down to the last-four, and it’s an all Premier League battle for silverware.

Only Liverpool, Southampton, Manchester United and Hull City remained in the 2016-17 EFL Cup, after knocking out Leeds United, Arsenal, West Ham United and Newcastle United respectively in the quarter-finals.

The ties were played out over two legs, Southampton hosted Liverpool first on January 11, then the two sides met again on January 25.

In the other tie, Hull travelled to Old Trafford on January 10, and the second leg at the KCOM Stadium on January 26.

So who was to come out on top and book their place at Wembley, and more importantly, who would claim Shoot!‘s Team, Player and Goal of the Round awards?

Player of the Round: Shane Long (Southampton)

You always know what you’re going to get from the Irishman, no matter what stage or scoreline of the game, he will always look to get in behind and cause your defence trouble.

Just in case Liverpool didn’t know, they do now!

Despite having a 1-0 lead going into the second leg, I think it would be fair to say Liverpool were still the favourites.

Long was to prove the hero at Anfield, after a tough 90 minutes at Anfield, where Liverpool enjoyed 72 per cent possession and fired 13 shots towards Fraser Forster’s goal – The Saints survived.

Still under siege in the dying embers of the game, they broke away on the counter attack. An excellent run from youngster Josh Sims created the space, Long made a trademark run and when he was fed, hammered The Saints towards Wembley Stadium.

Clearly a man for a big occasion with this goal, manager Claude Puel will be hoping he can deliver again when The Saints travel to the capital next month.

Goal of the Round: Shane Long (Southampton)

Well it had to be didn’t it; not just a goal of colossal significance, but a goal of extreme class.

Long came away with all the plaudits from the win. But Josh Sims’ incredible run, at least 60 yards, deserves a lot of credit, too.

He drove forward from almost the edge of his own box, leaving Liverpool players in his wake, and then had the intelligence to get his head up and feed Long, who took his chance with great aplomb.

A fantastic finish, driven across the keeper, exactly how you’re taught as a striker.

Team of the Round: Southampton

Yep, that’s right, our first sweepstake of the EFL Cup Awards is Southampton’s!

Pretty straightforward too in honesty, the Team of the Round by some distance, and quite possibly Team of the Tournament, too.

Two 1-0 wins over Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool is a fantastic feat. Incredibly, in doing so, The Saints have become the first side to ever reach the EFL Cup final without conceding a goal.

Two hard-fought, dogged displays couldn’t have been worth anything less than a place at Wembley in truth. Nathan Redmond’s goal at St. Mary’s gave them something to hold on to at Anfield and they did it superbly.

Absolutely excellent; ten out of ten from back to front, from goalkeeper Fraser Forster in the sticks with his heroic last-gasp recovery save, to substitute Shane Long, who came on to grab the winner.

And everyone in-between!