Liverpool edged past Chelsea in a dramatic penalty shoot-out after their EFL Cup fourth round tie finished 1–1 at Anfield, with Joe Gomez scoring the decisive kick after goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili denied Emmanuel Emegha.
Chelsea had taken the lead through Morgan Rogers’ penalty in the 40th minute, but Cody Gakpo equalised from the spot three minutes later after Wesley Fofana handled inside the box.
Neither side could find a winner in the second half, despite several promising chances, leaving the tie to be decided from 12 yards.
Chelsea threatened early, with Mamardashvili intercepting a dangerous pass intended for Pedro Neto in the 12th minute. Liverpool enjoyed spells of possession but struggled to create clear openings.
The breakthrough came when Ryan Gravenberch was penalised for a challenge in the box. Rogers converted confidently to put Chelsea ahead.
Liverpool responded almost immediately. Fofana handled inside the penalty area, and Gakpo sent his penalty low into the left corner to restore parity in the 43rd minute.
Liverpool nearly took the lead before half time, but Ronald Araujo headed over from a promising Tsimikas corner. Chelsea were also forced into a change when an injured Maxence Lacroix made way for Levi Colwill.
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Chelsea came close to regaining the lead after the restart, but Mamardashvili saved Rogers’ volley before blocking efforts from Neto and other Chelsea attackers.
Liverpool responded with chances of their own. Araujo forced an excellent save from Mike Penders in the 61st minute, while Bradley Barcola was denied four minutes later after driving into the box.
Both managers turned to their benches as the contest opened up. Penders saved again from Marco Palestra in the 78th minute, while Chelsea’s Colwill headed wide from a corner.
Liverpool introduced Alexis Mac Allister and Alexander Isak late on, but neither side found a breakthrough. After three minutes of added time, the match went to penalties.
Both teams initially converted from the spot. Alexis Mac Allister, Isak, Gakpo, Florian Wirtz and Barcola scored for Liverpool, while Neto, Rogers, Romeo Lavia, Jordan Henderson and Colwill replied for Chelsea.
The shootout swung when Valentin Barco struck the post and Mamardashvili saved Emegha’s effort. Liverpool also had misses, with Konstantinos Tsimikas shooting over and Ryan Gravenberch denied by Penders.
Gomez then converted into the top-right corner, putting Liverpool on the brink of victory. Fofana had to score to keep Chelsea alive, but his penalty flew over the crossbar.
Liverpool had survived a tense contest to secure their place in the next round, with Mamardashvili’s save and Chelsea’s costly misses proving decisive.
Elsewhere in the EFL Cup
Manchester City also needed penalties to progress, overcoming Brighton 4–3 in the shootout after a 2–2 draw.
Bournemouth secured a more comfortable passage with a 3–0 victory over Aston Villa, while Crystal Palace won 1–0 away to Fulham in a London derby.
Sunderland completed the night with a 3–2 home victory over Brentford.
