Fofana's Penalty Miss Seals Liverpool's League Cup Advance
Wesley Fofana struck the ball into the Kop stands, giving Liverpool a 6-5 win over Chelsea in a penalty shootout at Anfield.
By Andrew Bennett ·
Liverpool secured a spot in the League Cup quarterfinals after a 6-5 victory in a penalty shootout against Chelsea on Wednesday. The match ended in a 1-1 draw after 90 minutes at Anfield, forcing the tie to be decided by kicks from the spot.
The game featured a managerial matchup between childhood friends Andoni Iraola of Liverpool and Xabi Alonso of Chelsea. Chelsea took the lead in the 40th minute when Morgan Rogers converted a penalty awarded after Ryan Gravenberch collided with Moises Caicedo. Liverpool equalized three minutes later as Cody Gakpo scored from the spot following a handball by Wesley Fofana.
The shootout began with mixed results for both sides. Chelsea's Valentin Barco hit the post, and Liverpool's Kostas Tsimikas shot over the bar. Ryan Gravenberch was denied by Chelsea goalkeeper Mike Penders, keeping the score level. Liverpool stayed alive when Giorgi Mamardashvili saved a kick from Emmanuel Emegha.
Joe Gomez scored for Liverpool to keep the team in contention. The decisive moment arrived when Fofana mishit his penalty, sending the ball into the Kop stands. This error allowed Liverpool to advance to the next round of the competition.
The result marks the third defeat for Alonso in his three managerial visits to Anfield. He previously lost at the stadium while managing Bayer Leverkusen in 2024 and Real Madrid in 2025. For Iraola, the win continues a strong start to his tenure as manager.
Iraola noted that securing three consecutive home victories is a positive development after recent struggles in league matches. He also pointed to the upcoming challenge against Arsenal on Sunday and the quarterfinal matchup against his former club, Bournemouth. Alonso acknowledged the difficulty of losing in a shootout, stating that a high level of performance is required to succeed in such stadiums. He indicated that the Premier League remains the primary focus for his squad.
Team selection reflected the differing priorities of the two managers. Alonso made only four changes to the Chelsea lineup that lost 2-0 to Tottenham at home on Saturday. In contrast, Iraola made seven changes to the Liverpool squad that defeated Brighton 2-0 on Sunday.
