TheCable

Liverpool beat Chelsea on penalties to lift the Carabo Cup on Sunday night.

Jurgen Klopp’s side rode their luck to win the penalty shootouts 11-10 after both sides played out a pulsating 0-0 draw.

The thrilling encounter, which was high on chances, saw Chelsea miss several gilt-edged opportunities while Liverpool were equally denied by Edouard Mendy.

In what happened to be Chelsea’s first competitive game since Roman Abramovich, its owner, ceded control of the club amid links to Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president — who has attracted widespread criticism for ordering his troops to invade Ukraine — it was the billionaire businessman’s Stamford Bridge side that went very close to the opener in the early stages.

Christian Pulisic was denied by the equally impressive Caoimhín Kelleher, Liverpool’s back-up goalkeeper, while Kai Havertz failed to convert when put through on goal.

Mason Mount was the most profligate, squandering several opportunities to the fury of Thomas Tuchel, his manager.

Liverpool were not without chances to score but they met a wall in Mendy who conjured a double save midway into the first half and was on hand to smother other chances from Mohamed Salah and his teammates as both sides were level at the break.

It was more of the same in the second period, with Mount hitting the woodwork and denied by Kelleher who also stopped Romelu Lukaku from winning the game for Chelsea in regular time.

Liverpool, however, saw a goal chalked off by VAR, with Joel Matip’s header from a free kick ruled out due to interference by Virgil van Dijk in the build-up.

The Reds further went close through James Milner and Salah but Mendy stood tall.

The victory is Liverpool’s ninth League Cup title, and a revenge of their 2005 final loss to the Blues.