Liverpool–Chelsea: Gomez scores before Fofana’s decisive miss

Liverpool needed the 16th kick of the shootout to knock Chelsea out. After a 1-1 draw at Anfield on Wednesday 28 October, the Reds won 6-5 on penalties to reach the League Cup quarter-finals. Joe Gomez converted Liverpool’s eighth attempt before Wesley Fofana fired over. Both teams had already missed an opportunity to settle the tie.

Two penalties bring the first half to life

The opening stages offered little work for either goalkeeper. Maxence Lacroix intervened to stop Cody Gakpo getting a clear effort away, while Virgil van Dijk prevented Danny Welbeck from threatening at the other end.

That changed shortly before half-time. Ryan Gravenberch fouled Moisés Caicedo inside the area, and Morgan Rogers converted the resulting penalty in the 40th minute. Chelsea’s advantage lasted only three minutes. Fofana handled at a corner, giving Liverpool a penalty of their own, and Gakpo equalised in the 43rd minute.

Penders and Mamardashvili keep the sides level

Neither team scored again during normal time, but both goalkeepers made important second-half interventions. Giorgi Mamardashvili kept out Rogers and later denied Marco Palestra a goal that could have put Chelsea ahead late on.

Mike Penders responded for the visitors, saving Ronald Araujo’s close-range header and a shot from Bradley Barcola. Liverpool introduced Barcola and Florian Wirtz to add attacking options, but the substitutes could not produce the winner. The home side had made seven changes from their previous league game, with Trey Nyoni, Rio Ngumoha, James McConnell and Lewis Koumas among the young starters.

Two chances to finish before the decisive misses

The shootout gave both teams a route to victory. After Valentín Barco struck the post for Chelsea, Kostas Tsimikas had the chance to send Liverpool through with the Reds’ fifth kick. He fired over instead. Penders then saved Gravenberch’s effort, putting Chelsea within one successful kick of qualification.

Mamardashvili kept Liverpool in contention by stopping Emmanuel Emegha. Further successful attempts left the contest level before Gomez converted Liverpool’s eighth kick, their sixth successful penalty. Fofana needed to score to extend the shootout. His effort went over the bar, ending Chelsea’s run in the competition.

Liverpool progress after a tie shaped by spot-kicks

Mamardashvili’s contribution mattered in both parts of the contest: he prevented Chelsea finding a winner in normal time, then denied Emegha when a successful penalty would have ended the tie. Penders had given the visitors a comparable chance with his own shootout save.

For Fofana, two mistakes proved costly. His handball allowed Gakpo to cancel out Chelsea’s lead, and his final penalty confirmed the visitors’ elimination. Liverpool move into the last eight after a match in which spot-kicks provided both goals and ultimately decided who advanced.

The Reds’ success follows another shootout result in this round: Fleetwood knocked Arsenal out on penalties the previous evening.

Bournemouth next at Anfield

Liverpool will host Bournemouth in the quarter-finals. The draw gives the Reds another home tie at Anfield, to be played during the week commencing 14 December.