Liverpool defeat Chelsea on penalties to win EFL Cup
Liverpool have defeated Chelsea on penalties to win the 2021-22 EFL Cup.
The two sides played out a highly entertaining 0-0 draw over the course of 120 minutes at Wembley and struck 10 perfect penalties apiece before the goalkeepers stepped up to the spot.
Edouard Mendy made several high-quality saves throughout the contest but was taken off for Kepa Arrizabalaga ahead of the shootout, but the Spaniard blazed his penalty over the bar in sudden death to hand Liverpool their record ninth EFL Cup crown.
Both sides were guilty of wasting gilt-edged chances in the opening exchanges, with Caoimhin Kelleher denying Christian Pulisic from close range while Mason Mount curled just wide in acres of space.
Liverpool also witnessed Mendy pull off a magnificent double save before the break, with the Senegalese keeping out Naby Keita’s effort from distance before somehow denying Sadio Mane on the follow-up.
Jurgen Klopp’s side had the ball in the back of the net when Joel Matip headed home following a free kick, but VAR controversially ruled out the Cameroonian’s effort after Virgil van Dijk impeded Reece James from an offside position.
It was disallowed goals galore from then on, with Liverpool unable to prevent Kai Havertz’s late effort from going over the line before the linesman’s flag went up and extra time beckoned.
Havertz and Romelu Lukaku both thought they had won it for the London club in extra time only to see both efforts also ruled out for offside, and Thomas Tuchel made the decision to sub Jorginho and Kepa on with penalties looming.
After 21 perfect penalties – including a confident spot kick from Liverpool’s Kelleher – Kepa blasted over to hand the Reds an 11-10 shootout victory and see them become the most successful EFL Cup team of all time with nine titles, surpassing Manchester City’s eight.
Chelsea’s Wembley hoodoo continues, meanwhile, with the Blues now suffering two successive EFL Cup final defeats after also going down on penalties to Man City after a 0-0 draw in the 2018-19 final.
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