Liverpool defeated Chelsea on penalties (6-5) to win the English Cup final at Wembley on Saturday, after the game ended goalless at the end of regulation and extra time.
Source: AFP
The shootout ended 6-5, with Kostas Tsimikas scoring Red’s game-winner after Brazilian Alisson Becker saved Mason Mount’s shot.
The script was very similar to that experienced in the last League Cup final, and despite the goalless draw, both teams had chances in an entertaining duel.
The alarms went off on the Reds bench when Mohamed Salah, the star of Liverpool’s attack, was treated on the Wembley pitch and later replaced by the Portuguese Diogo Jota.
At the end of 90 minutes, the German coach Jürgen Klopp also changed the Dutch Virgil van Dijk for Joel Matip, a substitution that may also be due to physical ailments of the Dutch center-back.
In extra time the players noticed the fatigue and the revolutions were lowered, in a match that seemed already doomed to the outcome from eleven meters.
Chelsea missed their second shot, with a shot at the post by Spaniard César Azpilicueta. Sadio Mané was able to end the shootout with the fifth shot, but was stopped by his compatriot Édouard Mendy, Chelsea goalkeeper.
On the Blues’ seventh shot, Alisson Becker saved Mason Mount’s shot and Greek full-back Kostas Tsimikas did not spare this second match point, scoring the final penalty.
This is the eighth title for Liverpool, who have not lifted the FA Cup since 2006. For Chelsea, this is their third consecutive FA Cup final without lifting the trophy, after defeats to Arsenal in 2020 and against Leicester in 2021.
