Liverpool Beats Chelsea On Penalties, Wins FA Cup
Liverpool beat Chelsea 6-5 on penalties to win the FA Cup final on Saturday after a 0-0 scoreline after 120 minutes at Wembley, keeping the Reds’ chance of winning four trophies this season alive.
Chelsea started with Romelu Lukaku in attack, supported by Mason Mount and Christian Pulisic. Liverpool started with a front-three of Senegalese international Sadio Mane, Egyptian Mohamed Salah and Colombian Luis Diaz.
Liverpool created better chances in the first half with Luis Diaz close several times, before Chelsea came back in the second half, with Alonso rattling the crossbar.
Klopp’s Liverpool enjoyed the greater possession and finished the 90 minutes on top, with Diaz and Andrew Robertson both hitting the post in the final 10 minutes. Liverpool winger Diaz also missed a chance in the 90th minute of the second half as his shot went wide of the mark.
In extra time, both sides appeared to take a cautious approach as it seemed they had decided to take their chances in a penalty shootout.
An absorbing Wembley showpiece had somehow ended 0-0 after extra time, despite few chances and near misses from both sides with fine performances from the two goalkeepers.
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Chelsea keeper Edouard Mendy had kept his side alive in the shootout when he saved Senegal teammate Sadio Mane’s penalty.
However, it proved to no avail as substitute Kostas Tsimikas slotted the winning penalty after Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta had hit the post, and Alisson had saved Mason Mount’s effort.
Tsimikas’ effort means Liverpool were victorious in the competition for the first time since 2006.
“I’m really proud of my boys,” Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said. “We are mentality monsters but there were mentality monsters in Chelsea colours as well — it was one penalty.”
“Chelsea played outstanding but in the end there must be one winner and that was us today.”
For Chelsea, it also meant an unwelcome record of becoming the first side to lose three FA Cup finals in a row, after losing to Arsenal in 2020 and Leicester City last year.
“Like in the last final, the League Cup, no regrets. I told the team I was proud,” Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel said. “We played 240 minutes in two finals against maybe the most dangerous attacking team in the world and it’s 0-0.”
“I was sure during the match the momentum was on our side but unfortunately I was not right.”
The match was a carbon copy of the League Cup final in February, where Liverpool won Chelsea 11-10 on penalties after that game also finished goalless. Liverpool’s win means Jurgen Klopp’s men have won 50% of their target for the season.
They are three points behind Manchester City in the Premier League race with two games to go, and will meet Real Madrid in the Champions League final on May 28.
“This is something that will give us even more confidence to keep on going in the Premier League and also for the Champions League final,” Alisson, who made a crucial save from Marcos Alonso in the first half, said.
The win was Liverpool’s eighth in the 150-year history of the FA Cup, drawing them level with Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.
Arsenal have won the competition the most with 14 victories.
The 2021/22 #EmiratesFACup champions have been crowned! 👑
After a cagey affair, it took penalties to separate the two sides, as @LFC defeated a resilient @ChelseaFC 5-6 on penalties to win their 8️⃣th FA Cup title! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/hTZoV0MO2E
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) May 14, 2022
Chidi Nwoke/Reuters/Emirates FA Cup.
