Liverpool triumphed in an exciting match and defeated Chelsea on penalties to reach the quarter-finals of the League Cup. In this match held at Anfield, Andoni Iraola and Xabi Alonso, childhood friends, were present as the head coaches of the two teams.
Close competition at Anfield
Chelsea took the lead with a goal from Megan Rogers in the 40th minute. This goal was scored from the penalty spot after Ryan Gravenberch fouled Moisés Caicedo. However, Liverpool quickly responded, and Cody Gakpo equalized in the 43rd minute from the penalty spot after Wesley Fofana handled the ball.
In the penalty shootout, Chelsea's Vladimir Barkov hit the post, and Liverpool's Kostas Tsimikas also missed a chance to secure victory. Meanwhile, Chelsea goalkeeper Mike Penders saved Gravenberch's shot, but Giorgi Mamardashvili kept Liverpool alive by saving Emmanuel Emelga's shot. Joe Gomez scored for Liverpool, and ultimately Fofana shot his penalty towards the Liverpool fans, handing victory to the hosts. This defeat marked Alonso's third consecutive loss at Anfield as Chelsea's head coach.
Manchester City's advancement to the next stage
At the Etihad Stadium, Enzo Maresca, Manchester City's head coach, made no changes to his lineup after a loss in the Premier League against Aston Villa. Melik Yalkuye scored for Brighton in the 30th minute, but Mateo Kovačić equalized with a beautiful shot. Georginio Rutter scored again for Brighton, but Vitor Reis equalized in the 72nd minute with a goal from a free kick.
In the end, Kovačić's penalty was saved, but City goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli saved the shots from Yasin Ayri and Lewis Dunk, allowing City to advance to the next stage. City will face Bradford in the quarter-finals.
Bournemouth continued their successful run with a 3-0 victory over Aston Villa, and Crystal Palace relieved pressure from their head coach, Pierre Sage, with a 1-0 win against Fulham. Palace will host Sunderland in the next round, who narrowly defeated Brentford 3-2.
