Liverpool beat Chelsea on penalties to win the Carabao Cup final. After a thrilling match ended 0-0 after extra time at Wembley, Liverpool kept their composure to win an incredible penalty shootout 11-10 and beat Chelsea in the English League Cup final.
In a typical free-flowing contest packed with goal-scoring chances, incredible saves, and four disallowed goals, both teams could claim to be deserved victors.
The two heavyweights remained inseparable even in the penalty shootout, with 21 successful kicks ratcheting up the intensity.
In the end, it came down to an unexpected confrontation between two goalkeepers, with Caoimhin Kelleher, a young Irish Liverpool shot-stopper, smashing his penalty past Kepa Arrizabalaga, who had replaced Edouard Mendy for the shoot-out.
The Spaniard then blasted his attempt over the bar into the throngs of Liverpool fans who were celebrating the club’s first domestic Cup victory in a decade.
While Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp had won the Premier League and the Champions League since his arrival at Anfield, he had only won two of his previous eight cup finals with Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool.
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel’s aspirations of winning a fourth title in less than a year at Stamford Bridge were dashed.
While Chelsea was vying for their sixth League Cup, he won the Champions League last season and the European SuperCup and FIFA Club World Cup this season.
After having probably the better opportunities, his team may feel disgruntled.
Two goals in extra time were disallowed, the first by Romelo Lukaku, who cut in from the right and blasted a drive past Kelleher but was assessed barely offside.
Tuchel lauded his team for maintaining a clean sheet for 120 minutes against what he described as “arguably Europe’s finest offensive side,” but lamented “a bit of a strange line” with the Lukaku decision.
“But that’s all there is to it. We are unable to express any remorse “Tuchel remarked.
Tuchel also justified his decision to substitute goalkeeper Arrizabalaga for Mendy late in extra time.
The plan was to take advantage of the Spaniard’s penalty-saving abilities, but he failed to save any of Liverpool’s 11 spot-kicks and subsequently missed his chance to strike from 12 meters.
“It was a little harsh on him today because he was the man who missed the one and only penalty,” Tuchel remarked.
The Carabao Cup final occurred a day after Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich handed over “stewardship and care” of the London club after allegations surfaced regarding his apparent links to the Russian state.
Both Liverpool and Chelsea joined the Wembley crowd before the game to “express sympathy with the people of Ukraine and all those impacted by the continuing crisis.”
Tuchel stated that Abramovich’s decision will not affect the way he handles the squad.
“On a daily level, I don’t think it will make a difference. This is my understanding of the situation “After the game, Tuchel spoke with the media.
In reaction to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to attack Ukraine, there are mounting calls for the British government to seize Abramovich’s ownership of the club.
Tuchel stated that he has worked closely with Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia and Petr Cech, the club’s technical and performance consultant, in the past and that he does not anticipate it to alter in the future.
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