Liverpool advanced to the English League Cup quarter-finals after a tense penalty shootout victory against Chelsea at Anfield on Wednesday, while defending champions Manchester City edged past Brighton following their own penalty shootout.
The last-16 match between Liverpool and Chelsea ended 1-1 in regular time. Chelsea took the lead in the 40th minute when Morgan Rogers converted a penalty awarded after Ryan Gravenberch fouled Moises Caicedo. Liverpool equalized three minutes later as Cody Gakpo scored from the spot following a handball by Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana.
The shootout proved dramatic, with Chelsea’s Valentin Barco hitting the post and Liverpool’s Kostas Tsimikas missing his chance by shooting over the bar. Chelsea goalkeeper Mike Penders saved a penalty from Liverpool’s Ryan Gravenberch, but Liverpool’s Giorgi Mamardashvili kept his side alive by saving Emmanuel Emegha’s effort. After Joe Gomez scored for Liverpool, Blues defender Wesley Fofana miscued his kick, allowing Liverpool to progress.
The match marked the third successive defeat for Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso at Anfield in his managerial career, following losses with Bayer Leverkusen in 2024 and Real Madrid in 2025. Andoni Iraola, Liverpool’s manager and a childhood friend of Alonso, is on course to emulate predecessors Jurgen Klopp and Arne Slot by guiding the club to a League Cup final in his first campaign.
Meanwhile, Manchester City faced a stern test at the Etihad Stadium against Brighton in a match that also ended 2-2 after regular time and proceeded to penalties. City made nine changes following their 3-1 defeat at Aston Villa on Saturday, resting key players including Erling Haaland, Ruben Dias, Elliot Anderson, and Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Brighton took the lead in the 30th minute through Malick Yalcouye, who finished from close range after Georginio Rutter’s effort. City responded with a long-range strike from Mateo Kovacic in the 50th minute to level the score. Brighton regained the advantage two minutes later as Rutter scored again, and City equalized in the 72nd minute when Vitor Reis deflected in Rayan Cherki’s free kick.
The shootout saw City’s Kovacic miss his penalty, but goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli made crucial saves against Yasin Ayari and Lewis Dunk, ensuring City’s progression to the quarter-finals. The two sides are scheduled to meet again in the Premier League at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday. City will face third-tier Bradford in the next round for a place in the semi-finals.
Elsewhere, Bournemouth continued their impressive form with a 3-0 victory over Aston Villa at the Vitality Stadium. The win followed their 3-0 triumph against AC Milan in the Europa League and a 3-0 Premier League victory at Manchester United on Sunday. Crystal Palace claimed a narrow 1-0 win against Fulham, easing pressure on manager Pierre Sage.