Liverpool secured a place in the League Cup quarter-finals after a tense penalty shootout victory over Chelsea at Anfield on Thursday. The match, marked by a 1-1 draw in regular time, set the stage for a dramatic conclusion as Liverpool edged out their London rivals on spot-kicks.
The tie featured a managerial showdown between Liverpool’s Andoni Iraola and Chelsea’s Xabi Alonso, childhood friends who rarely face off in such high-stakes fixtures. For Iraola, this marked his third win at Anfield as Liverpool manager against Alonso, who has now suffered defeats at the stadium in three consecutive visits managing Bayer Leverkusen in 2024, Real Madrid in 2025, and now Chelsea.
Chelsea took the lead in the 40th minute through Morgan Rogers, who converted a penalty after Liverpool’s Ryan Gravenberch fouled Moises Caicedo. The visitors appeared poised to maintain their advantage until late in the first half, when Liverpool earned their own penalty following a handball by Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana. Cody Gakpo calmly converted from the spot to level the score before halftime.
In a tightly contested second half, Chelsea found themselves on the back foot after former Chelsea player Joe Gomez put Liverpool ahead in open play. However, a mistake from Fofana resulted in an own goal, allowing Chelsea to equalize and force the match to penalties.
During the shootout, Morgan Rogers scored for Chelsea, but Gakpo responded with a successful penalty for Liverpool. The shootout ultimately tipped in Liverpool’s favor following a crucial miss by Chelsea’s Rogers and strong saves from Liverpool's goalkeeper Jason Steele.
Meanwhile, holders Manchester City narrowly avoided an upset at the Etihad Stadium, drawing 2-2 with Brighton before prevailing in a penalty shootout. City manager Enzo Maresca made nine changes to his lineup following their first Premier League defeat of the season at Aston Villa on Saturday, resting key players including Erling Haaland and Ruben Dias.
Brighton took an early lead through Malick Yalcouye after a low shot from Georginio Rutter, with City responding through a long-range strike from Mateo Kovacic to level before halftime. Brighton regained the lead shortly after the break when Rutter finished from close range, only for Vitor Reis to deflect an equalizer, sending the game into penalties. City goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli played a pivotal role by saving attempts from Brighton’s Yasin Ayari and Lewis Dunk, ensuring their progression to the quarter-finals.
Elsewhere in the competition, Bournemouth continued their strong form with a 3-0 victory over Aston Villa at the Vitality Stadium. Crystal Palace secured a narrow 1-0 win at Fulham, easing pressure on manager Pierre Sage. Palace will host Sunderland in the next round after Sunderland’s 3-2 win over Brentford provided a welcome boost amid their Premier League struggles.
Iraola expressed satisfaction following Liverpool’s victory, highlighting the significance of three consecutive home wins as the team prepares for a Premier League clash against Arsenal on Sunday. Liverpool’s progress sets up a quarter-final tie against Iraola’s former club Bournemouth, promising a competitive next round.