6-5 Shootout Triumph Sends Liverpool Past Chelsea into Quarter-Finals
Liverpool advanced to the EFL Cup quarter-finals on October 29, 2026, defeating Chelsea 6-5 in a penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw in regulation time at Anfield. A heavily altered Liverpool side relied on defensive resolve and composure from the spot to overcome their top-flight rivals after two first-half penalties shaped the scoreline in 90 minutes.
Shootout Victory Caps Rotated Anfield Tie
Manager Andoni Iraola rotated his starting eleven heavily, handing midfield starts to Trey Nyoni and James McConnell alongside Ryan Gravenberch, while Cody Gakpo led the frontline. Chelsea breached the host’s backline first in the 40th minute when Morgan Rogers converted a penalty past Giorgi Mamardashvili. Liverpool found an immediate response just three minutes later when Gakpo converted a spot-kick of his own in the 43rd minute to equalise before the interval.
Cody Gakpo
playerIraola reshaped his tactical shape in the 58th minute by introducing Florian Wirtz and Bradley Barcola to inject direct central driving runs and wider isolation scenarios against Chelsea’s compact block. Further substitutions brought Jérémy Jacquet on for Virgil van Dijk in the 71st minute, followed by Alexis Mac Allister and Alexander Isak in the 81st minute. Despite the senior reinforcement, neither side converted late physical dominance into an open-play winner before the final whistle forced spot-kicks.
The resulting penalty shootout ended 6-5 in Liverpool’s favour, with Mamardashvili providing key interventions across the evening to anchor the decisive sequence. The victory maintains Liverpool’s progression in domestic cup competition while preserving main-squad minutes during a dense autumn schedule.
Morgan Rogers
playerLiverpool vs Chelsea Match Metrics
| Metric | Liverpool | Chelsea |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 52% | 48% |
| Total Shots | 10 | 11 |
| Shots on Target | 4 | 4 |
| Corners | 7 | 5 |
| Fouls Committed | 12 | 9 |
EFL Cup Tie Key Events
- 40′ – Goal: Morgan Rogers converts a penalty for Chelsea (0-1).
- 43′ – Goal: Cody Gakpo converts a penalty for Liverpool (1-1).
- 58′ – Substitution: Florian Wirtz replaces James McConnell; Bradley Barcola replaces Lewis Koumas.
- 71′ – Substitution: Jérémy Jacquet replaces Virgil van Dijk.
- 81′ – Substitution: Alexis Mac Allister replaces Trey Nyoni; Alexander Isak replaces Rio Ngumoha.
- Shootout – Liverpool win 6-5 on penalties to advance to the EFL Cup quarter-finals.