Kepa Arrizabalaga’s costly miss settles enthralling Carabao Cup final defined by goalkeepers
In a contest featuring explosive attacking talent, pedigreed defenders, and at least three midfielders that can be filed among the best in the world, naturally the League Cup final was framed by the goalkeepers involved.
And that was long before a penalty shootout decided the showpiece in Liverpool’s favour, which saw Chelsea’s Kepa Arrizabalaga spring off the bench and into spot-kick action in a narrative-fuelled twist that ordained he wildly skied his effort over the bar after a sensational series of takes.
Perhaps it was a touch of destiny given the pre-match attention on who would be selected in-between the sticks at Wembley. Jurgen Klopp had declared early that Caoimhin Kelleher would keep the gloves in this competition with the 23-year-old proving a mature, assured back-up for Alisson.
It was a lovely reward for the Republic of Ireland international, especially considering his steel when called upon to protect Liverpool’s goal last season amid a severe injury crisis that saw him stationed behind a midfielder as centre-back, or the Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams experiments.
Still, it was a ballsy call from Klopp – without a domestic trophy to his name in England and with this great Liverpool side knowing they haven’t amassed enough silverware.
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Caoimhin Kelleher was Liverpool’s hero
Unlike his counterpart and countryman, Thomas Tuchel swerved sentiment and plumped for Edouard Mendy over Arrizabalaga, who had played in every round so far.
“I have to do what in the end is, in my opinion, the very best solution for the team,” the German explained of his decision to revert to one of the finest keepers in the game.
Tuchel had also believed Chelsea’s best chance at shootout success was with Arrizabalaga being the man tasked with saving them. He probably didn’t bank on the keeper needing to take one himself.
Kepa skied his penalty over the bar after being brought on to win the shoot-out
In a fixture flooded with severely poor open play misses from seriously good players, a successful offside trap, and one contentious VAR decision, the attempts that could have been decisive were thwarted by Kelleher and Mendy.
Their backgrounds, level of experience, financial cost to their clubs, and even manner of selection here was in complete contrast yet there was no fundamental separator in their performances.
A major English final defined by a youth purchase from Cork, and a European Cup-winning marvel hailing from Montivilliers that had registered for unemployment aged 22 believing a professional career wouldn’t materialise.
Their divergent, golden tales shaped a tense encounter. Kelleher supplied the first big moment of the final, alert to a slick Chelsea attack and stifling an unmarked Christian Pulisic’s sidefoot attempt from six yards out.
On the half hour, just as Liverpool were getting into the stride of asserting themselves, Mendy produced top-shelf goalkeeping.
He saved a low, long drive well from Naby Keita, with the loose ball landing at Sadio Mane to tap in.
Edouard Mendy made a stunning save to deny Sadio Mane in normal time
It looked a certain goal, but Mendy was up and out to deny his Senegal team-mate.
He would rush out to crush a promising chance for the dangerous Luis Diaz and palm away a Virgil van Dijk header.
In the dying moments of regulation time, Kelleher stopped a Romelu Lukaku salvation story with his feet.
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And so, to a shootout it went. Arrizabalaga was on and applied the intimidate-long walk to the line approach, while Kelleher was typically understated.
They both ultimately ended up scooping ball after ball out the net – some deliciously good penalties on show – until Arrizabalaga blasted over the bar after Kelleher struck high into the net sending his counterpart the wrong way and Liverpool into rapture.
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