Liverpool are through to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals after beating Chelsea 6-5 in a marathon penalty shootout at Anfield, following a 1-1 draw in which both goals also came from the spot — Morgan Rogers for Chelsea on 40 minutes and Cody Gakpo for Liverpool three minutes later.
Joe Gomez scored Liverpool's eighth penalty to put the Reds 6-5 ahead in sudden death, and when Wesley Fofana missed Chelsea's final kick, Xabi Alonso's return to Anfield ended in elimination. It was a cruel finish for Chelsea, who had led, matched Liverpool for long spells and twice fought back in the shootout, but Andoni Iraola's rotated side held their nerve at the Kop End to keep their cup run — on a remarkable night of penalties across the competition — going.
Two penalties in three minutes lit up a cagey tie
For 35 minutes this was a slow burner. Both managers rotated heavily: Iraola handed starts to Giorgi Mamardashvili, Trey Nyoni, James McConnell, Lewis Koumas and Rio Ngumoha, while Alonso, back at Anfield as Chelsea head coach, started Mike Penders in goal with Cole Palmer suspended and Joao Pedro injured, and brought Jordan Henderson back to his old home in midfield. The first half-hour produced barely a shot, a tame Moises Caicedo effort the only attempt of note.
Then the tie exploded. On 40 minutes Ryan Gravenberch slid in carelessly on Caicedo inside the box — a challenge Sky Sports pundit Alan Smith called a gift, with Caicedo running away from goal — and Rogers, Chelsea's record signing, opened his body and fired the penalty into the top corner, sending Mamardashvili the wrong way. Liverpool's answer took three minutes. Chelsea failed to clear a corner, the ball brushed Fofana's raised fingertips, and Gakpo drilled his spot-kick into the bottom-left corner with Penders sent the wrong way. BBC pundit Clinton Morrison said at half-time that Gakpo is playing the best football of his Liverpool career, and on this evidence — a goal in normal time and another in the shootout — it was hard to argue.
The second half was a tale of big benches and big saves. Koumas and McConnell, both booked early on, were withdrawn before the hour as Florian Wirtz and Bradley Barcola arrived — the German whose Anfield return Alonso had discussed in the build-up to this tie. Ronald Araujo's header was saved by Penders, Barcola's solo run ended with a shot pushed behind, and at the other end Mamardashvili saved strongly from Marco Palestra and watched Rogers fire off target late on. Chelsea edged possession 51 to 49 per cent and shots 10 to eight, but with efforts on target level at four each, penalties felt inevitable long before the whistle. Full match details are on Sky Sports.
A 16-penalty shootout decided by Fofana's miss
The shootout, taken at the Kop End with Liverpool going first, was flawless until the fourth round. Alexis Mac Allister, Pedro Neto, Alexander Isak, Rogers, Gakpo, Romeo Lavia and Wirtz all scored before Valentin Barco hit the post for Chelsea. Kostas Tsimikas then fired over with the chance to win it, Henderson — serenaded on his return — kept his cool to make it 4-4, and Barcola and Levi Colwill traded goals for 5-5.
Sudden death brought the misses. Gravenberch, capping a brutal personal night after conceding the first penalty, saw his kick saved, but Mamardashvili rescued him by saving from Emanuel Emegha. Gomez then scored, and Fofana — whose handball had gifted Liverpool their equaliser — missed the 16th and final penalty of the night. Liverpool had won 6-5, on the same evening Manchester City were also winning a shootout against Brighton to reach the last eight.
So what does it mean?
Liverpool join City, Bournemouth, Crystal Palace and Sunderland from Wednesday night's ties in the quarter-finals, alongside Tuesday's winners Bradford City and Fleetwood Town, with Everton against Newcastle completing the round on Thursday. For Iraola, the manner of the win matters: his youngsters started the tie, his stars finished it, and his goalkeeper produced the shootout's decisive save. The Reds now turn to a huge Premier League meeting with Arsenal at Anfield on Sunday with momentum intact.
For Alonso and Chelsea, this one will sting. They were the better side for periods at the home of their manager's former club, lost Lacroix to a half-time change, and still came within one kick of the quarter-finals twice. But going out on penalties after leading, following Saturday's league loss to Tottenham, leaves the Blues needing a response against Manchester United this weekend — and leaves Henderson's emotional return ending in the familiar Anfield roar, only this time against him.
Beyond the Final Whistle verdict: This was not a classic cup tie for 90 minutes, but the shootout was pure theatre — 16 penalties, a former captain scoring against his old club, and a defender, Gomez, writing the decisive chapter before Fofana's miss. Liverpool's depth won the night: Iraola trusted his kids, then trusted his bench, and both delivered. Chelsea played well enough to win and still went out, and that is becoming an expensive habit. Can Liverpool turn this momentum into a win over Arsenal on Sunday? Let us know in the comments.
