Liverpool have won all five shootouts against Chelsea, and Fofana’s miss put Iraola’s side into the Carabao Cup last eight
Morgan Rogers and Cody Gakpo scored penalties three minutes apart at Anfield, and Liverpool won the shootout 6-5 to set up a quarter-final against Bournemouth.
Oct 29, 2026
Chelsea’s last kick of the night went into the Kop. Wesley Fofana, who had given away a penalty in normal time, put his shootout effort over the bar at Anfield on Wednesday, and Liverpool were through to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.
It is the fifth time these two clubs have gone to a shootout, and Liverpool have won all five. Andoni Iraola’s side now host his old club Bournemouth in the last eight.
Two penalties in three minutes
The game took 40 minutes to come alive. Then Ryan Gravenberch went through the back of Moisés Caicedo in the box, and the referee pointed to the spot. Jordan Henderson, back at Anfield as a Chelsea player, picked the ball up to boos from the stands and handed it to Morgan Rogers, who sent Giorgi Mamardashvili the wrong way.
Chelsea’s lead lasted three minutes. Fofana handled in his own area, and Cody Gakpo rolled the penalty past Mike Penders.
Penders had a bad Saturday. His punch went into his own net in Chelsea’s 2-0 home defeat to Tottenham. He was much better here, and at the other end Mamardashvili made a fine stop from the substitute Marco Palestra. The Carabao Cup has no extra time, so at 1-1 it went straight to penalties.
How the shootout turned
Valentin Barco hit the post, and Kostas Tsimikas then had the chance to win it with Liverpool’s fifth kick. He blazed over. Henderson scored, Penders saved from Gravenberch, and Emmanuel Emegha stepped up with a kick to send Chelsea through. Mamardashvili saved it. Joe Gomez scored for 6-5, and then Fofana missed.
Alonso is still waiting for an Anfield win
Iraola made seven changes from Sunday’s 2-0 win over Brighton. Xabi Alonso made only four from the Spurs defeat, and with Chelsea out of Europe that selection said how much he wanted this trophy. Cole Palmer was suspended and João Pedro injured, so Henderson started. Alonso also lost centre-back Maxence Lacroix to injury before half-time, and Levi Colwill came on for him.
It is Alonso’s third defeat in three visits to Anfield as a manager, after losses with Bayer Leverkusen in 2024 and Real Madrid in 2025. “Every time you reach the penalties, someone will feel it is harsh to go out of the competition,” he said, adding that the Premier League is Chelsea’s main focus.
Iraola was happier. “Three wins at home in a row is very important,” he said. “We were struggling at home in the league but now we go against Arsenal on Sunday.”
Arsenal will arrive having been knocked out of this competition on penalties by League Two Fleetwood on Tuesday. Holders Manchester City needed a shootout too on Wednesday, 4-3 against Brighton after a 2-2 draw, and they meet third-tier Bradford in the last eight. Crystal Palace host Sunderland, and Fleetwood play the winners of Thursday’s Everton v Newcastle tie.
Both Jürgen Klopp and Arne Slot reached the final of this competition in their first season at Liverpool. Iraola is two rounds away from doing the same.