Liverpool won the EFL Cup for the first time in a decade this evening courtesy of a thrilling penalty shootout victory over Chelsea at Wembley.
The 120 minutes had somehow ended goalless despite both sides carving out gilt-edged scoring opportunities and no fewer than four goals being ruled out for offside - including three for Chelsea.
While neither side could find the finishing touch within normal time, they suddenly could not miss in the penalty shootout, with 21 perfect penalties in a row as it went down to the goalkeepers.
However, after Caoimhin Kelleher had converted, Kepa Arrizabalaga - brought on especially for the shootout - put his spot kick well over to ensure victory for Jurgen Klopp's side.
The win means that Liverpool have now won the EFL Cup a record nine times, with this their first since 2012.
Both sides had clear-cut chances to win an enthralling, end-to-end match inside the 90 minutes, but goalkeepers Edouard Mendy and Kelleher both justified their selections with pivotal performances.
When the goalkeepers were beaten, the offside law saved both teams too, with Joel Matip being denied for Liverpool when a review ruled that Virgil van Dijk had interfered with play from an offside position, before more routine calls chalked off two goals for Kai Havertz either side of a very marginal Romelu Lukaku one.
Mendy made a sensational double-save to deny Naby Keita and Sadio Mane in the first half, while he also made important stops to deny Luis Diaz and Virgil van Dijk in normal time.
Mohamed Salah also saw a big chance go begging for Liverpool, but it was by no means one-way traffic and Chelsea would have also felt that they could have sewn up the match within 90 minutes.
Mason Mount was particularly guilty as he squandered golden openings either side of half time, missing the target entirely with the first and then hitting the post at the start of the second half.
Kelleher was called into action on a number of occasions too, most notably denying Christian Pulisic at the start of the match and then Romelu Lukaku deep into injury time of normal time.
Two of Chelsea's disallowed goals came during a tense period of extra time as half-chances went begging for both sides, before Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel took the notable decision to bring Kepa on for the penalty shootout.
However, that decision backfired in the most remarkable way as both teams scored the first 10 penalties to leave the goalkeepers to decide the shootout with their feet rather than their hands.
Kelleher picked out the top corner with his effort, before Kepa blazed his well over the crossbar to hand the trophy to Liverpool.
HIGHLIGHTS
6th min: Gilt-edged chance for Christian Pulisic as Cesar Azpilicueta threads the ball to him inside the box, but Caoimhin Kelleher pulls off a crucial save from point-blank range.
🗣 "What a chance! Havertz has started this game so well!"
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) February 27, 2022
A huge chance for Chelsea in the #CarabaoCupFinal 🔵 pic.twitter.com/KmSGYv5qri
18th min: Trent Alexander-Arnold whips a cross in from the right which Sadio Mane meets, but he gets his header all wrong and misses the target by a distance.
22nd min: Alexander-Arnold tees a free kick up for Mohamed Salah, who cuts across his shot to send it swinging comfortably wide from 25 yards out.
30th min: Incredible double save from Edouard Mendy as first he pushes away a low drive from Naby Keita, before recovering in time to somehow divert Sadio Mane's follow-up shot over the crossbar. Mane looked destined to tuck home the rebound from close range, but he was thwarted by his compatriot.
AMAZING DOUBLE SAVE!!
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) February 27, 2022
Take a bow Mendy 👏 pic.twitter.com/X9FIIj8gtN
37th min: Andrew Robertson swings a deep cross to the back post which Salah gets on the end of, but he cannot squeeze his header from a tight angle on target.
39th min: Pulisic finds space in the attacking third with Liverpool seemingly expecting an offside flag which does not arrive. The American goes for goal and stings the palms of Kelleher, who makes a comfortable enough save.
42nd min: The ball drops to Azpilicueta just outside the area and he swings his left at it, but it flies narrowly over the target.
45th min: Huge chance for Mason Mount as Chelsea hit Liverpool on the break, with Pulisic finding Kai Havertz, who in turn clips the ball into the box. Mount only has the keeper to beat, but his first-time volley flies inches wide.
48th min: Havertz wins a yard inside the area and fires the ball across the face of goal, but no Chelsea player can get his foot to it to turn it home from close range.
49th min: Pulisic clips a beauty of a pass through for Mount, who has acres of space and only the keeper to beat inside the Liverpool area, but his tame finish comes back off the inside of the post.
Beating the offside trap 🙂
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) February 27, 2022
Striking the upright 🙃
Mason Mount comes so, so close to putting Chelsea in front! 👀 pic.twitter.com/xNgWI7roYi
59th min: Marcos Alonso clips the ball forward for Mount, who cuts inside via an exchange of passes with Havertz but then fires his effort straight at Kelleher, who collects at the second attempt.
64th min: Huge chance for Liverpool as Mendy's clearance only goes as far as Fabinho. He launches an attack which sees Mane release Salah clean through on goal, but his clipped finish doesn't have enough on it as Thiago Silva gets back to knock it past the post.
Right man ✅
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) February 27, 2022
Right place ✅
Wrong finish ❌ pic.twitter.com/FJl7e7Io2B
67th min: Liverpool think they have opened the scoring as Alexander-Arnold's clipped free kick to the back post finds Mane, who nods it back across the face of goal where Joel Matip is waiting to put it into the roof of the net from close range. However, referee Stuart Attwell goes to the VAR monitor and rules that Virgil van Dijk was offside and interfering in play when the free kick was taken, chalking the goal off.
Joël Matip is *almost* Liverpool's unlikely hero 👀
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) February 27, 2022
The Reds' joy is short-lived as their goal is ruled out by VAR 📺 pic.twitter.com/cACBhQUfUc
75th min: A stunning pass from Alexander-Arnold releases Luis Diaz through on goal, but with his angle closing Mendy makes a good low save to deny the winger.
That through-ball by Trent Alexander-Arnold 😧 pic.twitter.com/UnH4JTTNWV
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) February 27, 2022
78th min: Havertz has the ball over the line as he converts from close range from Timo Werner's lofted cross, but the offside flag is quickly raised to cut Chelsea celebrations short.
It's Chelsea's turn to suffer the pain of a disallowed goal 💔 pic.twitter.com/P2jSyHHsaK
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) February 27, 2022
82nd min: James Milner exchanges passes with Salah on the edge of the box but then fires a long way high and wide from a presentable position.
85th min: A Liverpool corner leads to a goalmouth scramble as Diaz sees his initial shot saved by Mendy before Robertson's follow-up effort is blocked. Matip is almost able to tuck it home from close range, but eventually Chelsea manage to scramble it away.
Define: Goal-mouth scramble 📖
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) February 27, 2022
Somehow the Carabao Cup final is still goalless! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/kukpMHQEfy
90+1 min: Van Dijk meets a Liverpool corner with a towering header, but Mendy reacts smartly to turn it away. The ball falls to Salah, but his shot is blocked by Mateo Kovacic.
Virgil van Dijk climbs highest to win a powerful header! 💥
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) February 27, 2022
Edouard Mendy matches the quality with yet ANOTHER brilliant save 🙌 pic.twitter.com/JexzfC1a9a
90+5 min: Alonso manages to squeeze a cross in from the left and Romelu Lukaku flicks it goalwards at the near post, forcing Kelleher into a smart stop with his feet.
96th min ET: Chelsea work the ball across to N'Golo Kante, who has space to shoot inside the area, only to balloon his effort well over.
97th min ET: Chelsea have the ball in the back of the net again as Lukaku races on to a through-ball, beats Ibrahima Konate and then pulls his effort into the near corner past Kelleher, but again the flag is up. This one is closer on VAR, but the offside call stands.
Romelu Lukaku races through to smash in a powerful strike! 💥
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) February 27, 2022
VAR takes a closer look though and rules it out for offside by the narrowest of margins 🧐 pic.twitter.com/W2C63yMqW1
110th min ET: For the third time in the match, Chelsea think they have taken the lead only for their celebrations to be immediately cut short by the offside flag. Havertz himself suffers that fate for the second time when his smart low finish is ruled out for offside.
Yet *another* disallowed goal! ❌
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) February 27, 2022
0-0 does not do this Carabao Cup final justice 🤯 pic.twitter.com/DFu7olJdzu
115th min ET: Salah rolls his man in the box, but turns down a shooting opportunity with the ball bouncing in front of him before eventually being crowded out.
117th min ET: Robertson cuts a low ball back into the box for Diogo Jota, but he fluffs his lines as another presentable opening goes begging.
PENALTIES: After 21 perfect penalties, Kepa Arrizabalaga - brought on especially for the shootout - blazes his effort well over the crossbar to win Liverpool the cup.
SCENES!!! 🤯
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) February 27, 2022
Kepa Arrizabalaga misses the 22nd penalty after being subbed on for the shoot-out! 😨 pic.twitter.com/yLIOIQWdUD
MAN OF THE MATCH - EDUOARD MENDY
© Reuters
There was a lot of talk before the game about who would be in goal for Chelsea, but Edouard Mendy more than justified his selection over Kepa Arrizabalaga with a brilliant performance in normal time.
The Senegalese shot-stopper made a stunning double-save to deny Keita and Mane in the first half - two of six saves he made to keep his side in the game.
Considering his heroics over the course of the 120 minutes, it was harsh to take him off before the penalty shootout, and that decision ultimately backfired on Tuchel.
Kelleher deserves a mention for Liverpool courtesy of his saves in normal time and what proved to be the winning spot kick, but it was Mendy's performance more than anything which ensured that the game went that far in the first place.
STANDOUT MOMENT
© Reuters
Within normal time there were plenty of contenders for this award, including four disallowed goals - one of which was controversial for Liverpool and another very tight for Chelsea.
Mendy's scarcely-believable double-save was probably the standout moment of the 120 minutes, although in a cup final it is difficult to give the accolade to anything other than the decisive moment - particularly when that comes in such remarkable circumstances.
Kepa, who in a previous EFL Cup final had refused to come off before a penalty shootout, this time was brought on for spot kicks, only to be beaten with 11 in a row by the entire Liverpool team.
The Spaniard then had the chance to put the order back to the start, but he fired his effort well over to send the Liverpool fans behind the goal into raptures.
BEST STAT
11-10 - Liverpool's 11-10 penalty shootout win over Chelsea is the highest scoring penalty shootout between two English top-flight teams. Tense. pic.twitter.com/oeny2QKRhl
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 27, 2022
MATCH STATS
Possession: Chelsea 45%-55% Liverpool
Shots: Chelsea 11-20 Liverpool
Shots on target: Chelsea 4-6 Liverpool
Corners: Chelsea 2-11 Liverpool
Fouls: Chelsea 14-10 Liverpool
LINEUPS
CHELSEA (3-4-3): Mendy (Kepa 119'); Chalobah, Silva, Rudiger; Azpilicueta (James 57'), Kante, Kovacic (Jorginho 106'), Alonso; Mount (Lukaku 74'), Havertz, Pulisic (Werner 74')
LIVERPOOL (4-3-3): Kelleher; Alexander-Arnold, Matip (Konate 91'), Van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson (Elliott 79'), Fabinho, Keita (Milner 80'); Salah, Mane (Jota 80'), Diaz (Origi 97')
Barney Corkhill
