Liverpool beat Chelsea 6-5 on penalties after a 1-1 draw at Anfield on Wednesday night to reach the Carabao Cup quarter-finals. Joe Gomez scored Liverpool's eighth kick and Wesley Fofana then put Chelsea's eighth over the bar, so Xabi Alonso's return to Anfield as Chelsea manager ended in defeat.
Match facts
- Result: Liverpool 1-1 Chelsea (half-time 1-1); Liverpool win 6-5 on penalties
- Competition: Carabao Cup, last 16
- Venue: Anfield, Liverpool
- Scorers: Liverpool - Gakpo 43' (pen); Chelsea - Rogers 40' (pen)
- Red cards: None
- Attendance: 60,214
- Next: Liverpool v Bournemouth in the quarter-finals, week commencing 14 December
How the match unfolded
Andoni Iraola made seven changes from Liverpool's league win over Brighton, keeping only Ronald Araujo, Cody Gakpo, Ryan Gravenberch and Virgil van Dijk in the side. Alonso made four changes for Chelsea, with Jordan Henderson starting against his former club while Cole Palmer was suspended and João Pedro injured.
Neither goalkeeper was tested in the first half-hour. Maxence Lacroix recovered to stop Gakpo getting a clear shot, and Van Dijk cut out a pass meant for Danny Welbeck at the other end.
The game came alive in the 40th minute. Gravenberch challenged Moisés Caicedo in the box, referee Darren England pointed to the spot, and Morgan Rogers sent Giorgi Mamardashvili the wrong way. Liverpool were level three minutes later. Fofana handled at a corner and Gakpo drove the penalty low past Mike Penders. Chelsea lost Lacroix to injury before the break, with Levi Colwill replacing him at half-time.
Mamardashvili saved from Rogers and Pedro Neto early in the second half. Iraola sent on Florian Wirtz and Bradley Barcola just before the hour, and Penders kept out a close-range Araujo header and a Barcola shot. Late on, Mamardashvili turned a Marco Palestra effort round the post with one hand. There is no extra time in this round, so the tie went straight to penalties.
How was the shootout won?
Valentin Barco hit the woodwork for Chelsea and Kostas Tsimikas blazed over for Liverpool. Penders saved from Gravenberch, but Mamardashvili answered by stopping Emmanuel Emegha's kick. With the teams level at 5-5 after seven penalties each, Gomez scored and Fofana missed. BBC Sport noted it was Liverpool's fifth straight shootout win against Chelsea.
"It was a level game. Not a lot of chances for both teams," Iraola told Sky Sports. Alonso said: "Every time you reach the penalties, someone will feel it is harsh to go out of the competition."
What happens next?
Liverpool, who beat Brighton 2-0 in the Premier League at the weekend, host Arsenal at Anfield on Sunday. Their quarter-final against Iraola's former club Bournemouth will also be at Anfield. Chelsea, beaten 2-0 at home by Tottenham at the weekend, return to Premier League action on Saturday. League Two Fleetwood, who knocked out Arsenal on penalties on Tuesday, will face Everton or Newcastle in the last eight. More cup and club news is in our football section.
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