Giorgi Mamardashvili did not expect to spend the initial part of his second season at Liverpool as a specialized Carabao Cup goalkeeper. But the Georgia international is certainly determined to make the most of his scarce opportunities.

Mamardashvili improved on his strong performance against Tottenham Hotspur in the previous round by making a vital impact in both the game and the ensuing shoot-out, Reported by ECHO News.

Liverpool might not have made it that far if the 26-year-old hadn’t made a fantastic save in the second half, going low to his right to prevent Chelsea replacement Marco Palestra from scoring inside the near post.

And Liverpool had to rely on Mamardashvili again when Chelsea had the chance to win the shootout in sudden death through Emmanuel Emegha, the goalkeeper who arrived at Anfield with a reputation for stopping penalties, denying the debutant substitute’s effort.

When Wesley Fofana inflated his effort to give his team the victory, the Reds sprinted to engulf Mamardashvili in front of a bouncing Kop, led by a relieved Kostas Tsimikas, who was well off target with his penalty.

Mamardashvili will now have another match to look forward to in December. It is certainly justified based on the data presented.

Gakpo and Gravenberch struggle

Now, here’s some life advice: find someone who loves you as much as Cody Gakpo loves the League Cup.

The Dutchman’s well-taken penalty, which brought Liverpool back level quickly after falling behind, was his 11th goal in 14 appearances in the competition.

Gakpo later converted his spot kick in the tense shootout, but he’d be the first to say it wasn’t his best night, as he was involved in far too many near misses while playing down the middle of the assault. The harder he pushed, the more frustrated the forward became.

It was Xabi Alonso’s third defeat at his former club, following defeats in command of Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid in the previous two seasons.

However, the Spaniard prowling the touchline as Chelsea manager was far from the oddest sight here.