Chelsea vs Liverpool LIVE: Carabao Cup final result after Kepa misses crucial penalty in shoot-out
Chelsea 0-0 Liverpool (Liverpool wins 11-10 on penalties): Kepa Arrizabalaga’s miss settles thrilling final at Wembley
Follow live reaction as Liverpool won the Carabao Cup final on a penalty shootout after Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga missed the crucial spot-kick. After 20 penalties were scored, it went down to the goalkeepers to decide a thrilling final.
Caoimhin Kelleher scored his for Liverpool, but Kepa, who was brought on for the shoot-out after replacing Edouard Mendy, blazed his over the crossbar as Liverpool won the cup.
After both Liverpool and Chelsea made a pro-Ukraine gesture before kick-off, Christian Pulisic had the first chance of the final but was denied by Kelleher, to set the tone of a breathless final.
The Blues were on top in a frantic opening to the game but Liverpool soon gained control. Chelsea’s Edouard Mendy kept his side in it as he produced a stunning double save to prevent Sadio Mane from point-blank range.
Mason Mount then had a huge chance moments before half-time but skewed his volley wide after being found by Kai Havertz in the box, as the sides went into the break level.
Mount had a further chance after the break as he was picked out by Pulisic, but could only dig a finish onto the post from under his feet, as Thomas Tuchel pounded the turf in frustration.
Liverpool thought they had taken the lead on 66 minutes when Joel Matip headed in from close range, only for it to be disallowed by VAR as Virgil van Dijk, who blocked Thiago Silva, was ruled offside.
Chelsea then had a goal disallowed after Timo Werner was offside before Havertz finished past Kelleher. Both goalkeepers made further saves to send the final into extra-time, as Mendy dived to keep out Van Dijk’s header and Kelleher stopped Romelu Lukaku’s flick with his feet.
Lukaku then had a goal disallowed by VAR after the striker went too early before firing past Kelleher. Chelsea had another goal disallowed, as Havertz saw his finish ruled out, as the match went to penalties.
Follow reaction to a thrilling Carabao Cup final below:
Chelsea vs Liverpool
Liverpool were the losing team in each of their last five fixtures at Wembley when it was a neutral venue (including in all three under Jurgen Klopp).
Chelsea vs Liverpool
Chelsea have not trailed for a single minute in each of their last seven EFL Cup matches, including in all five this season. The last time the Blues fell behind in a League Cup game was in a 2-1 home loss to Manchester United in the 2019-20 fifth round.
The warm ups are underway
The teams have been out to warm-up at Wembley. The stands are slowly filling up and the atmoshpere is building nicely. Kick off is just over 20 minutes away.
Jurgen Klopp on reaching the Carabao Cup final
Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp, is excited about reaching the Carabao Cup final and getting the chance to take charge at Wembley but he acknowledges that his team have another step to go if they want to lift the trophy this year. Klopp said:
I am realistic but very positive as well, because there’s no need for anything else. Qualifying for a final is not even close to winning it, but we should take a lot of confidence out of the things the boys did so far in the season or in general. Chelsea can do it as well.
“In the end, how it always is, it’s about who gets the momentum in the decisive situations, who can finish their situations off better, who can defend the opponent in the best possible way, so who can cut off most things of the strengths of the other team? That’s obviously a constant battle during the game.
“But it is nice, you will never play a final – it never happened to me, at least – against a ‘weaker’ side, you just face top-class teams, world-class teams and that is the case here as well.”
Chelsea vs Liverpool
Liverpool have won the League Cup eight times, most recently in 2011-12 (on penalties against Cardiff City). The Reds are joint-first alongside Manchester City in the all-time list for most League Cup trophies with eight.
The Reds will make a record-extending 13th appearance in a League Cup final. Their most recent League Cup final was a shootout defeat against Manchester City at Wembley on 28th February 2016 (1-1 after extra time).
Jurgen Klopp keen to right wrong of Liverpool’s surprising cup record
Look up images of Jurgen Klopp’s two previous Wembley finals and you will notice there is something different about his attire and appearance. There’s no baseball cap at a jaunty angle, no sports jacket or trackie bottoms. He is wearing a suit, in fact, and it’s a bit like seeing a dog walk on its hind legs.
“I am pretty sure that someone told me before the Carabao final that I needed to wear a suit,” Klopp claims, insisting it was never his idea. The same had happened with Borussia Dortmund, before the Champions League final in 2013. “Then when I saw the first coach next to me without a suit, I thought: ‘Are you kidding me?!’”
Klopp only ever wears a suit if he has to and has realised now that he does not have to. “I could stand there in swim shorts as long as we win, people will be happy. If we don’t win, it will be a big story. If we win it, no one will talk about it,” he says. “I will not wear swim shorts though!”
Jurgen Klopp keen to right wrong of Liverpool’s surprising cup record
For a team that has helped to set arguably the highest standard of play this country has ever seen, it is striking that Klopp and his side are yet to win a domestic cup
Chelsea vs Liverpool
Chelsea can win the League Cup for the sixth time, after 1965, 1998, 2005, 2007 and 2015. Only Manchester City and Liverpool (eight each) have won more League Cups.
The Blues can become the first team to beat a top-flight side in every round of a League Cup-winning campaign. They have knocked out Aston Villa, Southampton, Brentford and Tottenham so far this year.
Pulisic eyeing more trophies for Chelsea
Christian Pulisic is hoping to add the Carabao Cup to Chelsea’s trophy cabinet in what would be a third piece of silverware for the season. The Blues have already won the Super Cup and Club World Cup this year as well as last season’s Champions League final victory. Pulisic said:
It’s always great to win a trophy, no matter at what point of the season. Winning the Club World Cup was huge for us and it gave everyone a big lift for sure. I think it breeds a winning mentality throughout the club and it was a really nice one to win.
“We’re still hungry for more trophies though and we’ve got another shot at silverware on Sunday in the Carabao Cup. We’ve turned all of our focus towards that one and there’s still so much to play for this season, it’s exciting.
“We enjoyed the win against Lille [in the Champions League earlier this week] but then it was all about resting and recovering before getting back to work ahead of the cup final.
“Of course we are up against a tough opponent in Liverpool, in a tough final but it’s another chance at winning a trophy and I’m really looking forward to it.”
War is clouding Chelsea minds ahead of Wembley showdown, says boss Thomas Tuchel
Thomas Tuchel has insisted Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has clouded collective minds at Chelsea.
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has already been the subject of much discussion in UK Parliament and beyond, with a number of Russian oligarchs and companies facing UK sanctions.
Abramovich has not fallen under any sanctions so far, and Chelsea boss Tuchel would not comment on that situation.
War is clouding Chelsea minds ahead of Wembley showdown, says boss Thomas Tuchel
The German says the situation in eastern Europe is ‘horrible’.
Head-to-head between Chelsea and Liverpool
This is the eighth time Chelsea and Liverpool have been paired together in the League Cup and for the second time in the final. On 27th February 2005, exactly 17 years to the date of this match, Chelsea beat Liverpool 3-2 after extra time in the final in Cardiff.
Liverpool have been victorious in only one of their last five League Cup ties against Chelsea. The most recent match between Chelsea and Liverpool at Wembley Stadium was the 2012 FA Cup final which Chelsea won 2-1.
Chelsea and Liverpool have met 189 times in all competitions. The Blues won 65, the Reds 80 and there have been 44 draws.
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