Liverpool reached the Carabao Cup quarterfinal on Wednesday after beating Chelsea 6–5 on penalties following a 1–1 draw in normal time.

It was a tale of two spot kicks which provided the only excitement of a tepid first half under the Anfield floodlights. Morgan Rogers opened the scoring from the spot following Ryan Gravenberch’s clumsy challenge, but the Reds responded just three minutes later as Cody Gakpo fired home to level proceedings.

The second half yielded more entertainment, with Liverpool forcing some smart saves from Mike Penders, courtesy of efforts from Ronald Araújo and Bradley Barcola. There were also stops for Giorgi Mamardashvili to make at the other end, but neither team was able to find a crucial winner in regulation time.

A hard-fought stalemate forced a penalty shootout, which Liverpool eventually won. Kostas Tsimikas and Ryan Gravenberch both skewed their efforts from 12 yards, but there were misses from Valentín Barco, Emmanuel Emegha and, finally with the 16th kick, Wesley Fofana, which secured a place in the final eight for Andoni Iraola’s side.

Winner and Loser

Winner

With each passing match, Trey Nyoni appears increasingly destined for the top.

The 19-year-old has earned rave reviews for some seriously impressive showings in the double pivot, and he delivered another excellent display against Chelsea’s glitzy midfield. Nyoni’s punchy forward passes and defensive awareness shone through, but it’s his enviable composure that makes him such an eye-catching talent.

Of course, there are imperfections in his game which will need to be ironed out over time,

Loser

Andoni Iraola’s rotated team was not without senior experience, and it was one of the club’s older heads who exhibited the rash immaturity of a teenager to gift Chelsea their lead. Moisés Caicedo was going nowhere inside Liverpool’s penalty area when Gravenberch needlessly clattered through the back of him, deservedly handing the visitors a spot kick.

Just over three weeks on from the Dutchman’s red card during the 3–0 defeat to Manchester City, another brainless decision proved costly for Liverpool. With Nyoni sparkling and Alexis Mac Allister back at his best, such errors threaten to cost Gravenberch his starting position in midfield.

Oh, and he missed his penalty in the shootout, too. An awful evening for the midfielder.

Liverpool Player Ratings vs. Chelsea (4-3-3)

GK: Giorgi Mamardashvili—7.8: Helpless to deny Rogers from the penalty spot and made some important saves to keep Liverpool level. Then produced a vital shootout save to stop Emegha from winning it for Chelsea.

RB: Joe Gomez—7.0: There was the odd issue for Gomez up against Rogers, but he was generally effective against his English compatriot.

CB: Ronald Araújo—7.8: After a heroic performance at the weekend, this was another all-action display from the Uruguayan. Defends at a ferocious speed.

CB: Virgil van Dijk—6.9: Led by example in a much-changed defensive line, racking up some important interventions to snuff out Chelsea attacks.

LB: Kostas Tsimikas—6.9: The 30-year-old was erratic in possession, as Liverpool have come to expect, but there were no defensive lapses against the speedy Pedro Neto. Produced a shocking penalty in the shootout, though.

CM: Ryan Gravenberch—5.6: No excuses for his idiotic challenge on Caicedo, with little else memorable about his performance. Sloppy in possession, too.

CM: Trey Nyoni—7.1: It’s easy to see why Iraola already trusts Nyoni, who plays with the confidence of someone five years his senior.

RW: Lewis Koumas—6.4: Managed just 12 touches during his hour on the field. Zero impact on proceedings.

AM: James McConnell—6.5: On the periphery in an advanced midfield role and was booked for a cynical handball. Failed to take his opportunity.

LW: Rio Ngumoha—6.9: The ex-Chelsea academy product reminded his former side of what they’re missing with some dazzling darts beyond blue jerseys. He boasts such infectious energy.

ST: Cody Gakpo—7.6: Continued his love affair with the Carabao Cup by converting his penalty, although he was seldom involved otherwise.

SUB: Florian Wirtz (59’ for McConnell)—6.0: Should have really found the net from eight yards, but fired his shot straight at Levi Colwill. At least converted in the shootout.

SUB: Bradley Barcola (59’ for Koumas)—6.4: Provided some spark from the bench and came close to scoring from the edge of the area.

SUB: Jérémy Jacquet (72’ for Van Dijk)—6.1: Solid enough upon arrival.

SUB: Alexis Mac Allister (81’ for Nyoni)—N/A

SUB: Alexander Isak (81’ for Ngumoha)—N/A

Subs not used: Alisson (GK), Luke Chambers, Wataru Endo, Federico Chiesa.

What the Ratings Tell Us

• There were contrasting performances among Liverpool’s youthful quartet. Nyoni impressed and Rio Ngumoha was typically lively, but the duo of James McConnell and Lewis Koumas made far less impact. The former struggled to influence the match in the No. 10 role, while Koumas was hardly involved during a stint at right wing.
• It’s no secret that Liverpool fans are falling in love with Barcelona loanee Araújo—and for good reason. This was a characteristically committed outing from the defender, who moved back into a center back role, and he was on hand to clear, block and head every ball that came within his vicinity.

The Numbers That Explain Liverpool’s Triumph

• A draw was the fair result based on the underlying numbers. The teams had almost identical tallies for shots (10 vs. 11), expected goals (2.10 vs. 1.82) and touches in the opposition’s box (20 vs. 21).
• Liverpool will be slightly frustrated not to have scored more than once, though, especially given they missed three big chances.
• Gakpo’s penalty goal means he’s now scored in every single Carabao Cup match he’s played at Anfield, netting eight times in seven appearances.
• The Reds have now beaten former midfielder Xabi Alonso during all three of his trips to Anfield with Bayer Leverkusen, Real Madrid and now Chelsea.