At Anfield on Thursday, Liverpool secured a 5‑4 penalty shootout victory over Chelsea, booking a place in the Carabao Cup quarter‑finals after a goalless 90 minutes. The tie went to penalties when Morgan Rogers’ spot‑kick for the Blues was cancelled by Cody Gakpo’s equaliser for the Reds.
Valentin Barco hit the woodwork for Chelsea, but Kostas Tsimikas missed for Liverpool, and former Reds captain Jordan Henderson levelled for his side. Blues keeper Mike Penders saved Ryan Gravenberch, while Giorgi Mamardashvili denied Emmanuel Emegha’s effort. Joe Gomez’s strike for Liverpool was countered by a miss from Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana.
Both teams made several changes from their recent Premier League fixtures. Liverpool’s manager Xabi Alonso started with a squad that included Henderson, while Chelsea’s Arne Slot fielded a side with Henderson in place of suspended Cole Palmer and injured Joao Pedro. Alonso’s only mid‑game change came after centre‑back Maxence Lacroix was injured, bringing in Levi Colwill.
The shootout was a back‑and‑forth affair, with neither side able to clinch a clear advantage until Fofana’s miss proved decisive. Liverpool’s fifth straight successful penalty against Chelsea sealed the win, setting up an Anfield clash with Bournemouth, former manager Andoni Iraola’s current club.
With Chelsea out of Europe and struggling after a loss to Tottenham, the competition offered Alonso a chance to lift a trophy early in the season. Liverpool fans celebrated the victory, marking five consecutive wins in the competition and three at home. The Reds will next face Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday, a test of their form heading into the second half of the season.
