Liverpool beats Chelsea 6-5 on penalties to reach League Cup quarterfinals
A 1-1 draw at Anfield ended in a six-penalty shootout that eliminated Chelsea and kept Andoni Iraola's side alive in the competition.
By Pedro Barnes ·
Liverpool advanced to the League Cup quarterfinals on Wednesday after defeating Chelsea 6-5 in a penalty shootout at Anfield. The result came after a 1-1 draw in regulation, marking a victory for Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola against his former teammate Xabi Alonso, who is now Chelsea’s head coach.
Morgan Rogers gave Chelsea the lead in the 40th minute with a penalty awarded after Ryan Gravenberch collided with Moises Caicedo. Cody Gakpo restored parity three minutes later, converting a penalty of his own after Wesley Fofana handled the ball in the box.
The shootout proved chaotic. Chelsea’s Valentin Barco struck the post, and Liverpool’s Kostas Tsimikas missed an opportunity to end the match by shooting over the bar. Mike Penders denied Ryan Gravenberch, but Chelsea keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili saved Emmanuel Emegha’s attempt to keep the match alive.
Joe Gomez scored for Liverpool before Wesley Fofana failed to convert his kick, sending the ball into the Kop stand to seal the win for the hosts. It was the third consecutive defeat for Alonso in his visits to Anfield as a manager, following losses with Bayer Leverkusen in 2024 and Real Madrid in 2025.
Iraola made seven changes to the starting lineup that defeated Brighton 2-0 on Sunday. In contrast, Alonso made only four adjustments to the side that lost 2-0 to Tottenham on Saturday. The win gives Liverpool three straight home victories, a shift from their recent struggles in the league.
“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,” Iraola said. The manager will face his former club Bournemouth in the next round, continuing Liverpool’s strong record in the tournament where both Jurgen Klopp and Arne Slot reached the final in their debut seasons.
Alonso acknowledged the difficulty of leaving via penalties, stating, “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.”
