Liverpool survive tense Anfield shootout to beat Chelsea and reach Carabao Cup quarterfinals.
Liverpool’s Carabao Cup campaign remains alive after a tense night at Anfield, where neither side could settle the contest in normal time before eight rounds of penalties finally separated two Premier League rivals.
Chelsea Strikes First Before Gakpo Responds
Chelsea took the lead in the 40th minute after Ryan Gravenberch fouled Moises Caicedo inside the penalty area. Morgan Rogers converted from the spot to beat Giorgi Mamardashvili, but Liverpool responded only three minutes later. Wesley Fofana was penalized for handball, allowing Cody Gakpo to convert Liverpool’s penalty and send the teams into halftime level at 1-1.
Goalkeepers Keep Second Half Level
Both teams created opportunities after the break but were unable to find the winning goal. Chelsea goalkeeper Mike Penders denied Ronald Araujo’s header and later stopped an effort from Bradley Barcola, while Mamardashvili made an important save against Marco Palestra. Florian Wirtz also had a close-range opportunity blocked as the 1-1 score remained unchanged through 90 minutes.
Shootout Turns Into Eight-Round Battle
With no extra time, the match went directly to penalties. Chelsea’s Valentin Barco struck the post, but Liverpool failed to capitalize when Kostas Tsimikas sent his attempt over the goal. The contest continued as both sides traded successful and unsuccessful kicks, eventually requiring eight penalty takers each.
Gomez and Mamardashvili Help Liverpool Survive
Mamardashvili played a crucial role by stopping Emmanuel Emegha during the shootout. Joe Gomez then converted his penalty to put Liverpool ahead 6-5. Chelsea still had the opportunity to extend the contest, but Fofana sent his attempt over the crossbar, confirming Liverpool’s victory.
Liverpool Moves Into Quarterfinals
The 6-5 shootout victory sends Liverpool into the quarterfinals of the 2026/27 Carabao Cup and ends Chelsea’s run in the competition. The result also echoes the 2022 Carabao Cup final, when Liverpool defeated Chelsea 11-10 on penalties at Wembley after another closely contested encounter.
Liverpool’s narrow victory showed how little separated the two sides, with Chelsea matching the hosts throughout normal time before penalties decided the outcome. For Indonesian and Singaporean football fans who closely follow English football, the result adds another dramatic chapter to the Liverpool-Chelsea rivalry while keeping Liverpool in contention for the Carabao Cup.
Sources: Batampos (2026) , VIVA (2026)
Keywords: Liverpool Chelsea, Carabao Cup 2026, Liverpool Penalty Shootout, Chelsea Carabao Cup, Joe Gomez, Wesley Fofana
