CHELSEA 0
LIVERPOOL 0
(Liverpool won 6-5 on penalties)
LIVERPOOL HAVE WON the FA Cup after securing victory via a penalty shoot-out.
It was just the third FA Cup final to be settled by penalties. The Caraboa Cup was also decided by spot-kicks this season.
Just 76 days after the Reds edged past Thomas Tuchel’s men on penalties following a scoreless Carabao Cup final, Wembley witnessed another gripping clash between these sides that went down to the wire.
Nothing could split them after 90 minutes and extra time again, with Alisson coming up trumps in the shoot-out as Liverpool won their first FA Cup since 2006.
The shoot-out was dramatic.
First up was Chelsea’s Marcos Alonso who stroked his left footed penalty past Liverpool’s keeper, Alisson.
THEY'VE DONE IT 🤩@LFC are #EmiratesFACup champions in our 150th anniversary season!#EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/yR2Pwrr4RJ
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) May 14, 2022
Next came James Milner, the Liverpool veteran, who powered his right-footer past Edouard Mendy, the keeper getting a fingertip to the effort.
Liverpool’s fans were joyous after César Azpilicueta hit the post. Liverpool’s Thiago then hit his penno in off the inside of the post. 2-1, Liverpool.
That became 2-2 when Reece James coolly put his spot-kick away. Roberto Firmino then stuttered in his run up but struck his penalty to Mendy’s right, hitting it with too much power, even though the keeper got a glove to the shot.
Former Evertonian Ross Barkley hit a brilliant fourth penalty for Everton to re-apply the pressure on Liverpool. It was Trent Alexander-Arnold who stepped up for their fourth penalty of the shoot-out. He sent Mendy the wrong way with a low shot to the keeper’s left.
That meant Jorginho had to score to keep Chelsea’s hopes alive. He did.
The responsibility fell on Sadio Mane’s shoulders. But his Senegalese international colleague, Mendy, dived low to his left and made a tremendous save.
Onto sudden death.
Hakim Ziyech was the sixth Chelsea player to take a penalty – and his was arguably the best of the lot, a powerful shot struck high to Alisson’s left.
That made it 5-4 to Chelsea. Diogo Jota scored to make it 5-5.
Seventh man up for Chelsea was Mason Mount. He stuttered in his run-up and Alisson read his intentions clearly, making a low, diving save to his left.
As a result, Kostas Tsimikas had a chance to become a Liverpool legend. He took that chance. Liverpool are FA Cup champions for the eighth time.
While the quadruple may eventually prove out of reach given Manchester City’s Premier League advantage, Jurgen Klopp’s Reds still have a shot at Champions League glory to come as a superb season heads towards a memorable conclusion.
Wembley was rocking to Liverpool’s beat at full-time, just as it was in the opening minutes as they flew out the blocks.
But Chelsea saw out the early storm and began to ask questions at the other end in a first half that saw Reds star Mohamed Salah limp off injured.
Marcos Alonso’s audacious free-kick hit the bar during a rampant Chelsea start to a topsy-turvy second period, which ended with Luis Diaz and Andrew Robertson striking the post for Liverpool.
That pulsating half made way for a tepid period of extra time between exhausted sides that raised themselves for penalties, which ended with red smoke and Liverpool cheers filling the air.
