Updated at 15.01
LIVERPOOL MANAGER Jurgen Klopp praised Ireland international goalkeeper and shoot-out hero Caoimhin Kelleher for ‘saving our life’ after he saved two penalties in the 5-4 penalty shootout win over Leicester City in Wednesday night’s Carabao Cup quarter-final at Anfield.
The 23-year-old from Cork may have been exposed for two of Leicester’s three first-half goals but he made crucial saves in the second half, setting up Takumi Minamino’s dramatic late goal, his sixth in five League Cup appearances, to ensure the game finished 3-3 in normal time.
Klopp said afterwards: “It is not the first time he was part of these spectacular games, against Arsenal (the 2019 5-5 League Cup draw which they won on penalties) it was similar but this a step forward and he saved our life, he was really helpful tonight.”
Kelleher also expressed delight, after his influential display.
“It’s an exhilaration throughout my whole body,” he told Liverpool’s official website when asked about the reaction to the penalty saves.
“I don’t really know what’s happening, but when I made that save and I hear the crowd, it’s an amazing feeling, to be honest.”
He continued: “I think some of the more senior boys coming on at half-time helped us a bit get that bit more control in the game and push forward. Mostly for the second half we were just camped in their half, so the senior players coming on did help us.
“Like we always show, we never give up and always keep going until the end and like you saw, we got that goal at the end again because we never stopped believing and the crowd just kept pushing us on.”
On the shootout itself, he added: “I enjoy the moment, it’s a nice moment. There’s not much pressure on you, if you don’t save it [then] it is what it is, but I always relish it and enjoy the chance to try to make a save.”
Kelleher also gave credit to John Achterberg and other members of Liverpool’s backroom staff for helping him prepare for the scenario.
“I put it all down to them because they do so much research and so much analysis into penalties and stuff. Honestly, it’s all down to the coaches, John and Jack [Robinson].”
Caoimhín Kelleher is the fifth goalkeeper to win two penalty shootouts with Liverpool, and aged 23 is the youngest of the 5 to do so.
— Michael Reid (@michael_reid11) December 22, 2021
Bruce Grobbelaar (34 when he won his second)
Jerzy Dudek (31)
Pepe Reina (24)
Simon Mignolet (27)
Caoimhín Kelleher (23)#LFC #LIVLEI
Klopp, meanwhile, insists he is happy to cede any home advantage and play in a one-off Carabao Cup semi-final to ease the burden on his players.
After the victory, the Reds were drawn against Arsenal in the last four.
The two-legged affair is due to be played in the weeks commencing 3 and 10 January but that comes after a run of five matches in 12 days for Liverpool and Klopp is not keen on the additional workload being placed on his squad.
“I think it would be better with one game absolutely, but obviously what I say is not too important,” he said after making 10 changes for the quarter-final with three academy players in his starting line-up and five on the bench.
“If there are two games, then we will play two games. But it would be helpful if there was only one, true.
“The draw has us at Arsenal, I’m fine with that, we play there and see who is better and go for it.
“I don’t just speak about player welfare this year, I have been speaking about it for six years or maybe longer.
“If the things I say would help more, I would say it much more often. But it doesn’t help.
“The only thing I do with these messages is I create headlines. They never arrive at the right places.
“Tomorrow we have a meeting at 4pm but it’s with the Premier League and not with the EFL, I’m not sure if they are involved or not.
“I said it before, I would prefer only one semi-final. But I can’t see any kind of changes actually.”
Goalkeeping 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒐𝒊𝒄𝒔 from Caoimhin Kelleher! 👏 pic.twitter.com/XmGq76QLpf
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 22, 2021
Leicester left Anfield kicking themselves having twice squandered a two-goal lead.
Jamie Vardy (two) and James Maddison had made it 2-0 and 3-1 to Leicester only for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Diogo Jota and Minamino to respond.
“You saw in the second half the injuries we picked up, we had to change the structure of the team,” said manager Brendan Rodgers, who revealed Vardy played the last half-hour with a tight hamstring which prevented him taking a penalty.
“First half we were excellent and looked a real threat. To come to Anfield and score three goals, we really should have got four or five.
“Defensively you know you are going to have to suffer at times with the quality they have.
“In the second half we threw everything at it and it just looked at the end we were going to get through.
“To concede in the 95th minute I was so disappointed for the players, they put so much into the game.”
Additional reporting by Paul Fennessy
Originally published at 00.01
