While most supporters - and clearly Michael Owen - view qualification for Europe's elite competition as the most serious pursuit in a campaign deviod of a meaningful title challenge, Houllier has made it clear that he has his sights set firmly on a record eight league cup triumph.
Houllier said: "We want to keep our momentum going and make it three wins out of three. Winning breeds confidence and there is no better preparation for the game against Newcastle this weekend than winning tonight.
"We take the competition seriously, always. Once you get through a couple of rounds you want to go on and win it. Any competition we are involved in we want to give our best shot. We have a soft spot for the competition and want to go through.
"We want to set a record for the club by winning the competition for the eighth time. It is important now that we keep things going."
