Liverpool Win The FA Cup After Dramatic Penalty Shootout Win Over Chelsea
Liverpool have defeated Chelsea 6-5 on penalties in the FA Cup final to win their second trophy of the season.
The two sides played out an absorbing 0-0 draw over 120 minutes at Wembley for the second time in three months, and settled their differences from the spot as they did in the Carabao Cup final back in February.
Chelsea won the toss and Marcos Alonso stepped up first, sending Alisson the wrong way. James Milner took the responsibility for Jurgen Klopp's side and also scored.
Blues captain Cesar Azpilicueta struck the post and Thiago responded with an outrageous panenka.
WE ARE THE #EmiratesFACup WINNERS!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/eZMe5IRbB2
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) May 14, 2022
Reece James went straight down the middle and Roberto Firmino also scored.
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Ross Barkley, who came on just for the shootout, comfortably dispatched as did Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Jorginho knew he needed to score for Thomas Tuchel's side and he did. Sadio Mane would've sealed victory, but Edouard Mendy guessed the right way and denied his Senegal teammate.
Pens: Sadio Mane...saved.#LFC: ✅ ✅ ✅✅❌#CFC: ✅❌ ✅✅✅#EmiratesFACup
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) May 14, 2022
It meant penalties then fell to those who didn't offer to be in the first five. You wouldn't have guessed that with Hakim Ziyech though and he fired into the bottom right corner with conviction, as did Diogo Jota to make it 5-5.
Mason Mount was denied by Alisson and it gave Reds cult hero Kostas Tsimikas the chance to take all the glory.
He sent Mendy the wrong way to win Liverpool's first FA Cup in 16 years.
That result means Chelsea have now lost three FA Cup finals in a row, dating back to 2020.
Tsimikas scores and Liverpool win the cup.
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) May 14, 2022
🟡 5-6 🔴 | #EmiratesFACup
Liverpool came out of the blocks firing and peppered the Chelsea net with shots early on, with Mendy forced to save from Luis Diaz after a delightful Alexander-Arnold through ball.
Thomas Tuchel's men did have their chances however and most of them fell to Christian Pulisic, who put his effort just past the post 23 minutes in.
Mohamed Salah struggled to make an impact and went down with an injury just past the half hour mark.
He was replaced by Diogo Jota and Klopp will be sweating over his fitness, with the Champions League final just two weeks away.
After the restart, Pulisic fired straight at Alisson and Alonso rattled the bar from a free-kick.
Both teams will finish this campaign with over 60 games played and fatigue started to settle in.
Mateo Kovacic came off with an ankle injury and was replaced by N'Golo Kante, while the experienced Milner came on for Naby Keita.
Andy Robertson hit the post with seven minutes remaining after a wicked cross from Milner.
Diaz went mightily close at the end of normal time with a long-range effort bending just wide.
Another potential injury concern reared its head in extra time as Joel Matip came on for Virgil van Dijk.
Extra-time was uneventful and it meant for the second time in three months, a final between Liverpool and Chelsea went the distance.
Liverpool are second in the Premier League and three points behind Manchester City with two games remaining.
Once their domestic business is wrapped up, they'll face Real Madrid in Paris as they search for their seventh European Cup triumph.
Daniel Marland