Liverpool edge Chelsea on penalties to advance in the Carabao Cup

Liverpool eliminated Chelsea on penalties to advance in the Carabao Cup. The shoot-out added another chapter to a rivalry in which Chelsea had already lost four penalty shoot-outs against Liverpool before this match.

The sequence sits within a longer history. The clubs met in the Champions League semi-final in 2007, the Uefa Super Cup final in 2019, and the FA Cup and League Cup finals in 2022. Those ties were already part of Chelsea’s record of painful penalty defeats against Liverpool.

Before kick-off, Chelsea’s manager was warmly greeted by Iraola, his childhood friend. Henderson, meanwhile, was met with theatrical boos whenever he had the ball. For Liverpool, Lewis Koumas was one of seven changes Iraola made from the side that beat Brighton on Sunday. He started on the right of the attack, with Gakpo leading the line.

Chelsea came into the match after a home defeat by Tottenham. With the injured João Pedro and suspended Cole Palmer unavailable, Alonso opted for experienced players. Danny Welbeck was among the attacking options, while Morgan Rogers could also play in a more advanced role. Emegha, back after a hamstring problem, offered another possibility, but had yet to make his Chelsea debut.

Koumas was booked early after a challenge involving Maxence Lacroix. Liverpool later won a penalty from a Kostas Tsimikas corner: Caicedo and Fofana challenged Virgil van Dijk, and the ball struck the Chelsea defender’s raised arm. Gakpo sent his low penalty to Mike Penders’s right as the goalkeeper dived the other way.

Chelsea had chances of its own. Penders made saves from Barcola and from a Ronald Araujo header. Rogers was involved in several promising openings as Chelsea finished strongly. Wirtz had a late opportunity to settle the match for Liverpool, but his attempt after Gakpo’s knockdown struck Levi Colwill and was cleared.

The tie was therefore decided by penalties, with Liverpool progressing and Chelsea extending its run of shoot-out defeats against its opponent. The Carabao Cup campaign continues for Liverpool; for Chelsea, the elimination adds to a history of decisive meetings with Liverpool that have often been settled in the same fashion.