Liverpool 1-1 Chelsea: Reds win penalty shootout to reach Carabao Cup quarter-finals
Liverpool booked their place in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals after a 1-1 draw with Chelsea at Anfield was settled on penalties, the hosts eventually winning the shootout 6-5. Both managers made wholesale changes to their starting line-ups for the fourth-round tie, with Liverpool.com noting that Andoni Iraola made seven changes to his side for the night.
The game burst into life late in the first half. Morgan Rogers put Chelsea ahead from the penalty spot in the 40th minute, sending his effort into the top corner, before Liverpool levelled just three minutes later when Cody Gakpo stepped up and coolly converted his own penalty to make it 1-1 at the break. Liverpool.com described how Iraola's gamble paid off as Gakpo overcame some early frustration to get his side back level.
Neither side could find a winner in normal time despite chances at both ends, with the match heading into a penalty shootout. According to This Is Anfield, it was Joe Gomez who struck the decisive spot kick to send Liverpool through 6-5 on penalties, while Sky Sports reported that Wesley Fofana missed the crucial kick for Chelsea as the Reds progressed to set up a quarter-final against Bournemouth. The Guardian added some historical context, pointing out that this was the fifth time in a row Chelsea had lost to Liverpool in a penalty shoot-out.
Cards were shown at both ends across a feisty encounter. Lewis Koumas and James McConnell were both booked for Liverpool in the first half, for a bad foul and handball respectively, while Chelsea's Josh Acheampong and Romeo Lavia were also cautioned for fouls during the second half.
In terms of the numbers, Liverpool shaded possession at 51.7% to 48.3%, with the hosts also edging the shot count 10 to 11 in Chelsea's favour on target attempts, though both sides had four shots on target apiece. Liverpool won seven corners to Chelsea's five, while Chelsea made more tackles and clearances over the course of the match as they soaked up pressure at times.
The game also carried an emotional subplot, with Jordan Henderson returning to Anfield in Chelsea colours. Liverpool.com reported that fans made their feelings known to the former captain about his move to Chelsea, and noted that Henderson appeared to react to the boos by taking the ball from a teammate when Chelsea were awarded their penalty.
Attention for Liverpool fans now turns to the quarter-final draw, with Liverpool Echo covering the build-up to find out who Iraola's side will face next in the competition. For Chelsea, the defeat ends their Carabao Cup run for this season, while Liverpool's much-changed team showed enough character to advance, with Liverpool.com's player ratings picking out Rio Ngumoha as a lively performer even though several others struggled to get going, a view echoed by This Is Anfield's player ratings and the Liverpool Echo, who highlighted Gomez and another performer as the 8/10 heroes of the win.
Written with the help of AI, using the match facts and the headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.
