Wesley Fofana’s miss sends Liverpool past Chelsea in Carabao Cup shootout

Liverpool edged out Chelsea 6-5 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in normal time to progress from the fourth round of the Carabao Cup (Capital One) at Anfield on Wednesday.

The decisive moment came in the shootout when Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana sent his effort high over the crossbar. Liverpool had missed two penalties, but Chelsea failed with three, allowing the home side to secure victory in the dramatic conclusion.

Chelsea took the lead three minutes before half-time when Morgan Rogers converted from the penalty spot. The award followed a challenge by Ryan Gravenberch on Moises Caicedo, giving the visitors the advantage after a closely contested opening period.

Liverpool responded almost immediately. Cody Gakpo restored parity in the 43rd minute with another penalty, awarded after the ball struck Fofana’s hand.

The second half produced chances at both ends, although Liverpool carried the greater threat and applied more sustained pressure. Chelsea goalkeeper Mike Penders played a central role in keeping his side level, making several important saves to deny Liverpool.

Among the opportunities he stopped were a header from Ronald Araujo and a shot by Bradley Barcola. Despite Liverpool’s pressure and the efforts of both teams to find a winner, neither side could break the deadlock before the end of normal time.

The 1-1 scoreline meant the tie went directly to penalties. Liverpool eventually prevailed 6-5, with the shootout requiring both teams to deal with missed opportunities before Fofana’s wayward attempt settled the contest.

The result gives Liverpool progress in the competition after they came into the match having beaten Brighton 2-0 in the Premier League. Chelsea, by contrast, were looking to respond to a surprise 2-0 defeat by Tottenham in their previous match.

For Liverpool, the victory came despite Chelsea’s early lead and a testing second half in which Penders repeatedly prevented the hosts from completing the turnaround during open play. The decisive advantage arrived only in the shootout, where Liverpool’s final successful efforts outweighed their own two misses.

Chelsea’s three unsuccessful penalties ultimately proved costly, with Fofana’s final attempt flying above the goal to end the visitors’ hopes of advancing from the fourth round.