Liverpool also secured the FA Cup trophy after their success in the League Cup. The Reds beat Chelsea 6-5 on penalties in the final at Wembley in London on Saturday. It was 0-0 after 120 minutes. While Cesar Azpilicueta and Mason Mount missed at Chelsea, only Sadio Mane missed at Liverpool. Liverpool last won the FA Cup 16 years ago.
Both teams could have decided the game in regular time in front of more than 80,000 spectators. Chelsea had the best phase early in the second half, hitting metal. On the other side, Andy Robertson shot the goal from a few meters in the finish (84th). In the penalty shoot-out, Azpilicueta hit the post first. Mane then failed with the fifth penalty to his Senegalese national team-mate Edouard Mendy before Mount failed to Alisson. The Greek Kostas Tsimikas then kept his nerve.
The final between Liverpool and Chelsea in the League Cup in February had already been decided on penalties. Back then, too, the “Reds” won with a memorable score of 11:10. Klopp prevailed again against Thomas Tuchel in the duel between the German coaches.
“We are mentality monsters”
“I’m very proud of the boys. We are mentality monsters, but there were also mentality monsters in Chelsea colours. In the end it’s a penalty. There had to be a winner and that was us today,” said Klopp. The ‘Blues’ from London have now lost three straight FA Cup finals after losing to Arsenal in 2020 and Leicester last year. Tuchel was depressed. “I was sure in the game that the momentum was on our side, but unfortunately I was wrong.”
With the victory, Liverpool, who had to be without striker Mohamed Salah after around half an hour due to injury, preserved the historic chance of four trophies in one season. Still in the Champions League final, the Klopp club are in second place, three points behind leaders Manchester City, with two games left in the Premier League season.
