Kepa substitution backfires for Chelsea as Liverpool lifts EFL Cup

• Liverpool won their first silverware of the season, winning the EFL Carabao Cup after defeating Chelsea in the final.
• The match had to be decided by penalties after the two sides played out a 0-0 draw after 120 minutes in Wembley.
• Chelsea’s substitute goalkeeper Kepa, missed his kick, sending the ball over the bar in what was the 22nd penalty in the match.

Liverpool emerged the winners in the EFL Carabao Cup by beating Chelsea on penalties following a goalless draw at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, with Chelsea goalkeeper substitution Kepa Arrizabalaga missing the 22nd kick of the shoot-out.

A tight encounter saw several big chances missed and four goals disallowed in all before Kepa – who was brought on specifically for the shoot-out – missed the decisive penalty.

The remarkable finish means Liverpool have now won a record nine EFL Cups – one more than Manchester City – with this Jurgen Klopp’s first domestic cup since arriving at Anfield in 2015.

European and world champions Chelsea will rue their wasted opportunities even before the spot-kicks in their fourth consecutive domestic final defeat.

Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga sent his penalty over the bar to hand Liverpool the EFL Carabao Cup trophy. | PHOTO: Getty Images |

Klopp had been dealt a blow before kick-off when Thiago Alcantara sustained an injury in the warm-up, and it was Chelsea who created the first clear-cut chance as Cesar Azpilicueta squared for Christian Pulisic, who hit his shot straight at Liverpool shot-stopper Caoimhin Kelleher.

Liverpool controlled much of the first half and should have taken the lead just before the half-hour mark when Edouard Mendy made a stunning double-save from Naby Keita and Sadio Mane.

Chelsea missed another glorious chance on the stroke of half-time as a counter-attack saw Kai Havertz set up Mason Mount, who somehow missed the target from point-blank range, before hitting the post when in again early in the second half.

Liverpool thought they had taken the lead when Joel Matip bundled in, but a VAR review ruled it out after Virgil van Dijk was shown to have blocked Reece James from an offside position, and Havertz later also had a goal disallowed for offside.

Mendy and Kelleher were both called into action before the end of normal time, saving efforts from Van Dijk and substitute Romelu Lukaku respectively, and in extra time the Belgium striker and Havertz each had the ball in the net only to again see the flag go up, sending the game went to penalties – but only after Mendy was replaced by Kepa.

Liverpool players celebrating the EFL Carabao Cup trophy after defeating Chelsea in the final match. | PHOTO: Getty Images |

Neither he nor Kelleher could save any of the first 21 successful strikes before Kepa failed to follow his opposite number in finding the net and fired over the crossbar.

Liverpool lifted their first EFL Cup in 10 years, but it is merely the first of four competitions they have a chance of winning this season, back in the Premier League title race, in a strong position in the Champions League round of 16 against Inter and looking ahead to the FA Cup fifth round this week.

That unlikely quadruple bid so nearly came off the rails, though, in the highest-scoring shoot-out ever between two English top-flight teams.

In Klopp’s first season at Anfield, he took Liverpool to the EFL Cup final only to lose on penalties to City. Winning this final against another elite team will have put an even bigger grin than usual on the German’s face.

Liverpool did have the better of the game, with 20 shots to Chelsea’s 11 and 54.5 per cent of possession, but the lottery of penalties was required and they managed to seal the win with all 11 players scoring from the spot.

It is not unfamiliar to see players snatching at chances in the nervous environment of a final, but even by normal standards, the finishing on the show at Wembley left a lot to be desired.

In normal time, there were seven big chances in total (4-3 to Liverpool), with none converted. In the first half alone, there were three chances with an expected goals value of more than 0.5, with Pulisic, Mane and Mount each profligate.

Both sides are in FA Cup fifth round action next as Chelsea travel to Championship side Luton Town on Wednesday, while Liverpool host Premier League strugglers Norwich City on the same day.