At times during a madcap night at a deceivingly cold Anfield, it felt like we were stuck in a fever dream.

There was Joe Gomez, a player who is yet to score a goal in professional football despite this being his 13th season, briefly morphing into prime Harry Kane to dispatch a penalty like he has been taking them all his life.

Just before, the Premier League and Champions League-winning captain Jordan Henderson was receiving deafening boos from the Kop in a bizarre chapter to the England midfielder’s once-illustrious Anfield career.

Henderson slotted his penalty home with confidence but still departed his old stomping ground with egg on his face, just like his manager Xabi Alonso. The Spaniard, who scored in the 2005 Champions League final for Liverpool, experienced an unhappy homecoming on Merseyside.

After a goal apiece just before half-time, from Morgan Rogers and Cody Gakpo, a tense battle had to be settled by penalties, with Liverpool No 2 goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili taking the plaudits for a fine save that was followed by a horrendous skied attempt from Wesley Fofana.

That was a true defender’s penalty after some thunderous spot-kicks beforehand, with Fofana’s effort going high into the Kop to leave Liverpool dancing and Alonso and Co cursing. 

Iraola now has the chance of completing a double of sorts on Sunday when he takes on fellow old pal Mikel Arteta and Arsenal. It was at the Antiguoko Kirol Elkartea grassroots club in San Sebastian that Iraola, Alonso and Arteta played in the same team back in the 1990s.

Should Liverpool do what Fleetwood Town famously did and beat the Gunners, they will be firmly in the picture for the Premier League title as Iraola’s side are starting to build up a head of steam. After a slow start, Iraola’s team is now cooking on gas, this their fifth win on the spin.

But even if the league title is a step too far this season for this team in transition, there are tangible signs they are heading in the right direction and the body-language of players during the shoot-out showed they are taking every competition seriously.

Inside Anfield, it felt like everyone grew into the night and the desire to win grew with every passing minute. Virgil van Dijk, who was substituted, was living life like a fan with his arm around fellow old-timer Alisson.

Defender Ronald Araujo was on his haunches praying one second, the next leaping up and acting like a cheer-leader, as Dua Lipa’s One Kiss rang around Anfield after Fofana missed his kick. This win puts them closer to kissing the first trophy of the Iraola era.

Iraola was delighted as he not only managed to continue the eye-catching form and growing team spirit but simultaneously give a rest to key players. For a manager, that is the perfect cocktail.

‘Honestly, I was talking to (the press officer) and I said the only thing I wouldn’t want is Bournemouth (in the next round),’ said Iraola, smiling. ‘It is special but they know me very well – it is what it is, we are not lucky with the draw! We play Spurs, Chelsea and then Bournemouth.’

Asked on the team spirit, he added: ‘I feel (togetherness) and I am very happy to feel it, it is very important to me that we are feeling the support of the ones in the stands and a lot of the players have given us very good help and it is the third game at home we finish with good feelings.’

Alonso had few good feelings, as his side failed to capitalise on a significantly weakened Liverpool XI with seven changes from the weekend and £552million worth of talent sat on the bench.

With no Europe to fight for, the Chelsea manager’s chances of silverware in his first year have diminished.

At one point in a rather dull first half an hour, one wondered if the two managers would be best suited just shaking hands on a penalty shoot-out right there and then.

It seemed that was taken literally when two spot-kicks in three minutes breathed some life into the contest – and how refreshing it was to not have to watch 50 replays from every angle possible as the ghouls in Stockley Park microanalysed every single detail of the decisions.

First, Ryan Gravenberch tripped Moises Caicedo foolishly in the penalty area, when the Ecuadorian midfielder was not going anywhere. Rogers stepped up for the Blues and confidently sent Mamardashvili the wrong way.

The away end were in fine voice but they were soon brought crashing back to earth when the referee was pointing to the spot at the other end, as Virgil van Dijk’s attempted header clattered into the arm of Wesley Fofana. Gakpo, like Rogers a few minutes earlier, dispatched with ease.

Both goalkeepers put in fine displays for the rest of the game with Mike Penders atoning for his errors against Tottenham in the Chelsea goal. Mamardashvili, who also made big stops, was the one who had the last laugh, saving Emmanuel Emegha’s penalty in the bottom corner.

Liverpool have now played Chelsea in five shoot-outs and won every single one, including the 2022 FA Cup and Carabao Cup finals. Maybe another trip to Wembley will soon be on the cards for Iraola’s exciting team which is growing its team spirit by the week.