Chelsea Edges Liverpool in Dramatic Penalty Shootout to Secure League Cup Quarter-Final Spot

Liverpool secured their place in the English League Cup quarter-finals after a thrilling 6-5 penalty shootout victory over Chelsea at Anfield. The intense last-16 tie saw managers Andoni Iraola and Xabi Alonso, both former friends, go head-to-head, with Iraola ultimately claiming the bragging rights.

A 1-1 draw in normal time led to the decisive shootout. Chelsea's Morgan Rogers converted a penalty, but Cody Gakpo quickly equalized for Liverpool just before halftime with his own spot-kick. The shootout itself was fraught with tension: Chelsea's Valentin Barco struck the post, and Liverpool's Kostas Tsimikas blazed his effort over the bar, missing a chance to win the match. Chelsea's goalkeeper Mike Penders made a save against Ryan Gravenberch, while Giorgi Mamardashvili kept Liverpool in contention by saving Emmanuel Emegha’s penalty. After Joe Gomez successfully scored for Liverpool, Blues defender Wesley Fofana's miss ultimately sealed their fate, sending Liverpool through.

This result marks former Liverpool midfielder Alonso's third consecutive defeat at Anfield as a manager, having previously lost with Bayer Leverkusen in 2024 and Real Madrid in 2025. Iraola, following in the footsteps of Jurgen Klopp and Arne Slot, who both reached the League Cup final in their debut seasons at Liverpool, is now on course to potentially replicate their success with the 10-time competition winners.

“We are really happy. Three wins at home in a row is very important. We were struggling at home in the league but now we go against Arsenal on Sunday,” said Iraola, whose team will face his former club Bournemouth in the next round. Alonso commented, “Every time you reach the penalties, someone will feel it is harsh to go out of the competition. We were showing a good level and this is what it takes to come to these stadiums. The Premier League is the main focus.”

Alonso made four changes to the Chelsea lineup that lost 2-0 to Tottenham, while Iraola opted for seven alterations from Liverpool's 2-0 victory over Brighton. Chelsea took the lead in the 40th minute through a penalty from Rogers, awarded after Gravenberch fouled Moises Caicedo. However, Liverpool responded swiftly, leveling the score three minutes later when Gakpo converted a penalty following a handball by Fofana.