LONDON – Jurgen Klopp challenged Liverpool to chase a historic quadruple after the Reds won the English League Cup final in a dramatic penalty shoot-out against Chelsea.
Klopp’s side clinched the first of the four major trophies they are competing for this term when Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga smashed his penalty high over the crossbar.
Kepa was the only player to miss in the shoot-out as Liverpool converted all 11 of their kicks and Chelsea netted 10.
Liverpool’s record ninth League Cup triumph was their first domestic knockout tournament triumph since 2012.
Having failed to win a trophy last season, Klopp believes his players can use the momentum from their Wembley success to fuel their bid to become the first English club to enjoy a trophy clean-sweep.
The Reds are six points behind Premier League leaders Manchester City with a game in hand, hold a 2-0 lead heading into their Champions League last-16 second leg against Inter Milan and host Norwich in the FA Cup fifth round on Wednesday.
“This is the start. We are not silly. You need luck. We have to survive, work hard and, we have to play on Wednesday again, which I cannot believe at this moment,” Klopp said.
“Anfield will be rocking because of this result and hopefully we can deliver a game to enjoy.
“We don’t get nervous when things don’t go well. We are more experienced now.
“It’s a big one for us. The first time for this group. The atmosphere was outstanding. It was nice to celebrate with the people after the match.”
Klopp hailed young goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher after the Irishman’s decisive, but rather unexpected, leading role in sealing a record ninth League Cup title.
The 23-year-old deputy to regular keeper Alisson has been used by Klopp in Liverpool’s domestic cup ties this season, and was trusted for the showpiece final against Chelsea.
Kelleher made several crucial saves as an enthralling final ended 0-0 after extra time and then, with the sides 100% following 20 penalties in the shoot-out, he showed nerves of steel to belt home his spot kick to put Liverpool 11-10 ahead.
Had he saved opposite number Kepa Arrizabalaga’s penalty a minute later it would have been the ultimate fairytale.
As it was, Spaniard Arrizabalaga ballooned his penalty high over the crossbar into Liverpool’s massed ranks of fans who then celebrated the club’s first domestic cup success for 10 years.
“Even in professional football there should be space for some sentiment,” Klopp, who resisted the temptation to turn to Brazilian Alisson for such a high-profile occasion, said according to Reuters.
“Caoimhin Kelleher is a young boy, plays in all the competition, what do I do? I am two things, a professional manager and a human being and the human being won.”
Cork-born Kelleher has now been successful in three penalty shoot-outs for Liverpool, including in the quarter-final against Leicester City — more than any other Liverpool keeper.
“He deserves it. At the training centre we have a wall that all goalkeepers are on who won something and Caoimhin can go on it — that’s how it should be — absolutely great,” Klopp said.
Team mate Andy Roberston said he had been praying Kelleher would save a penalty. Instead he lauded his shooting prowess.
“His penalty was ridiculous. That’s where I think penalty shootouts are horrible — when it gets to the end it’s lads that are the least confident and don’t really want to take one and they sometimes decide the finals.
“But Caoimhin’s penalty was different class.”
While Klopp had won the Premier League and Champions League since taking over at Anfield in 2015, his previous record in cup finals was two wins and eight defeats.
He may have bigger fish to fry this season as they chase Manchester City in the Premier League and continue their Champions League quest, but another trophy deepened the affection in which he is held by the club’s fans.
“I am happy for the people to celebrate something like this. Chelsea is incredibly strong, we matched each other,” he said. “We need to have luck — we had luck that could have been 5-5.”
Before the final kicked off both sets of players brought on yellow and blue wreaths in the colour’s of Ukraine’s flag while the crowd were invited to show their support for a nation trying to resist a Russian military invasion.
Liverpool’s fans sang a rousing rendition of their anthem “You’ll Never Walk Alone” before a game that offered something of a temporary distraction from a bleak week of news.
“I am happy for the people in dark times to celebrate something like this,” Klopp said.
For Chelsea, this was a painful end to a difficult week, which saw Russian owner Roman Abramovich on Saturday announce that he is “giving trustees of Chelsea’s charitable foundation the stewardship and care” of the club.
Abramovich, who will remain the owner, made the move after calls in the UK Parliament for Russian oligarchs to be stripped of their assets.
Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel refused to blame Kepa, saying: “It’s harsh. There is no blame of course. Everybody knows how good Kepa is. Unfortunately he could not save one. The penalties were brilliantly taken.
“You take these decisions and sometimes they don’t work out. Our level made me very proud. We played a huge part in a brilliant match. We should not lose sleep over it,” Tuchel said according to AFP.
Chelsea paid for a series of missed chances, with Christian Pulisic wastefully guiding his close-range effort straight at Kelleher in the opening minutes.
Mendy sprawled to his right to repel Naby Keita’s 20-yard drive, then scrambled across to push Sadio Mane’s close-range follow-up over the bar with one hand when it seemed certain he would score.
Chelsea should have been ahead before the interval when Mason Mount somehow volleyed wide from eight yards with the goal at his mercy.
Mount managed an even worse miss early in the second half, scuffing his shot against the post after being left completely unmarked inside the area.
In the 67th minute, Matip nodded Mane’s header into the roof of the net from close range before Van Dijk was adjudged offside.
Havertz saw his header disallowed for a much clearer offside than the one that denied Klopp’s side.
Romelu Lukaku, introduced after being left on the bench for a second successive game, thought he had put Chelsea ahead in extra-time, but a debatable offside decision disallowed his clinical finish.
Havertz was denied a goal by another offside flag, setting the stage for Liverpool to win it in the shoot-out.
