Liverpool beat Chelsea 11-10 on penalties to win the Carabao Cup at the iconic Wembley Stadium.
After being brought on as a substitute for the penalty shootout, Kepa Arrizabalaga blasted his kick into the stands to hand the Reds their first domestic trophy in almost a decade. It was their ninth English League Cup trophy overall.
𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐒 😍😍😍
🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 pic.twitter.com/79Vr3FIvV7
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) February 27, 2022
The final was riveting, featuring frequent chances at both ends, dramatic saves, and disallowed goals with VAR overturning two massive decisions.
Liverpool looked to have won the game regulation time but they were horrified when Joël Matip had his goal disallowed midway through the second half. VAR ruled that Virgil van Dijk had been in an offside position and interfering with the Chelsea substitute Reece James before Matip had put the ball into the net.
Chelsea were wasteful on the other end as well. Pulisic failed from a cross by Azpilicueta early on while Mason Mount wasted glorious openings on either side of half-time.
Kai Havertz had the ball in the net twice only to be denied by offside flags. While Lukaku also beat Kelleher once only for the VAR lines to decree that he had gone fractionally too early.
With penalties on the horizon, Tuchel made the bold decision of pulling the impressive Édouard Mendy and putting Arrizabalaga in the firing line. The goalkeeper had been the hero of two shootout victories earlier in this edition of the Carabao Cup, saving once apiece against Aston Villa and Southampton and even making a crucial penalty save in extra time to secure the 2-1 FA Cup win over Plymouth earlier this month.
But Arrizabalaga could not repel any of Liverpool’s five regulation penalties or the six in sudden death that followed before skying his spot-kick to send Liverpool fans into ecstacy.
