Liverpool have secured their place in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals after overcoming Chelsea in a tense penalty shootout. The match ended level in normal time, with Cody Gakpo scoring his 11th goal in the competition for Liverpool, cancelling out a Morgan Rogers penalty for Chelsea. The tie went to a shootout, where Liverpool goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili made crucial saves to secure the win.
The match at Anfield saw several changes from the weekend's Premier League games, with Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso making four changes, and Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola making seven. Alonso, who won the Champions League with Liverpool in 2005 as a player, faced his former club, but couldn't secure a win. Liverpool's Jordan Henderson, who started in place of the suspended Cole Palmer, was met with a chorus of boos from the Anfield crowd.
The contest burst into life in the 40th minute when Chelsea's Ryan Gravenberch made a poor challenge on Moises Caicedo, resulting in a penalty for the Blues. Rogers scored, but Chelsea's joy was short-lived as Wesley Fofana handled the ball in the box, allowing Cody Gakpo to score for Liverpool. Alonso made a change before half-time, replacing injured centre-back Maxence Lacroix with Levi Colwill.
In the second half, Iraola brought on Florian Wirtz and Bradley Barcola, and Liverpool upped the ante, but Chelsea remained a counter-attacking threat. Neither side could find a winner, with Chelsea keeper Mike Penders making great saves to keep out Ronald Araujo and Barcola. At the other end, Marco Palestra forced Mamardashvili into a brilliant save.
The match went straight to penalties, with Liverpool eventually securing the win. Chelsea's Fofana skied his spot-kick over, proving decisive in the outcome. Liverpool's win extends their run to five straight victories, with their last three wins coming at home. The Reds will face Bournemouth in the quarter-finals.
The defeat will be a disappointment for Alonso, who had a genuine opportunity to win a major trophy with Chelsea. The Blues have not had the best of starts to the season, and the loss will sting, particularly as they blew a golden opportunity to win the tie when Emmanuel Emegha had his effort saved.
Liverpool's manager, Andoni Iraola, has had a better start to the season, with his team tasting defeat just once in all competitions. The mood around Anfield at full-time was jubilant, with the fans seeing their team win their last five in a row. Liverpool's next test will be against Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday.
Key points
- Liverpool secured their fifth straight penalty success against Chelsea.
- Cody Gakpo scored his 11th goal in the Carabao Cup for Liverpool.
- The win extends Liverpool's run to five straight victories, with their last three wins coming at home.
