Liverpool Beats Chelsea On Penalties, Wins Carabao Cup
Liverpool were victorious against Chelsea to win the Carabao Cup after goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga missed the decisive penalty in a 11-10 shootout at Wembley, as the match finished 0-0 after 120 minutes.
Kai Havertz started in attack for Chelsea with Romelu Lukaku on the bench. Liverpool had African champion Sadio Mane up front, supported by Mohamed Salah and new signing Luis Diaz on the flanks.
Liverpool dominated possession early in the game. However, Chelsea were creating the clear openings. They had three massive opportunities to take the lead, but Christian Pulisic was denied by Caoimhin Kelleher early on, then Mason Mount either side of half-time lacked the composure to finish.
Liverpool also had a chance to open the scoring on the half-hour mark, only to be denied by goalkeeper Eduoard Mendy’s remarkable double save.
First he got down low to deny Naby Keita’s shot from the edge of the box, before reacting with incredible speed to push Sadio Mane’s follow-up effort over the bar from point-blank range. Moments later, Thiago Silva made a goal-line clearance to deny Salah to keep his side in the game.
Liverpool then thought they had taken the lead as a smart free-kick routine led to Mane heading across for Joel Matip to convert from a couple of yards out, but after a lengthy VAR check it was ruled out for offside.
Lukaku was introduced late in the game and the Belgian striker thought he had given Chelsea the lead. But VAR showed the striker was offside as he raced in behind onto a Trevoh Chalobah pass before finishing past Kelleher.
Chelsea had the ball in the back of the net again in the second half of extra-time as Kai Havertz turned and finished, but once again the Blues were caught offside.
Eventually the game went to penalties as Kepa was introduced, but he failed to save a single penalty before sending his over the bar to hand Liverpool victory.
It was Liverpool’s first Carabao Cup win since 2012, taking them ahead of Manchester City to become the most successful side in the history of the competition with nine wins.
“Alisson Becker is the best goalkeeper in the world for me, but Kelleher is the best No 2 in the world, especially for the way we play. He had an incredible game,” Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp said after the match.
“The life of a No 2 goalkeeper is you have to be ready when called. I can remember at least two incredible saves, probably a few more. He proved that the decision to play him was absolutely right, and then in a spectacular shoot-out he showed the whole range of his skill-set,” Klopp said.
“He ( Kelleher) was top class.”
🏆 Congratulations, @LFC! 👏#EFL | #CarabaoCupFinal pic.twitter.com/WEMBJvdxGy
— Carabao Cup (@Carabao_Cup) February 27, 2022
Jurgen Klopp clinched his first domestic cup triumph as Liverpool boss, having lost his only previous final — the 2016-17 Carabao Cup final against Manchester City.
Chelsea, meanwhile, extended an awful recent record in Wembley finals, which has now surprisingly seen the Blues lose 10 of their last 11 showpiece occasions across the FA Cup, Carabao Cup and Community Shield.
Chidi Nwoke/Carabao Cup.
