Liverpool Beat Chelsea On Penalties, But Iraola Got One Decision Wrong

I don’t think my nerves could have taken much more of that.

Liverpool are through to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals after beating Chelsea on penalties, and I’m absolutely delighted. Relieved, exhausted, delighted. All three emotions rolled into one.

Was it a great performance? Absolutely not.

But we’re through, we’ve won five consecutive matches in all competitions, and we’ve got another opportunity to reach Wembley.

I’ll take that every single time.

However, I cannot sit here and pretend everything was wonderful because we eventually won the shootout.

Ryan Gravenberch had a really poor game, Cody Gakpo wasn’t much better, and I genuinely couldn’t understand some of Andoni Iraola’s substitutions.

Meanwhile, Trey Nyoni was absolutely exceptional.

And that’s where I want to start.

Ryan Gravenberch Should Never Have Finished That Match

I was absolutely baffled watching Gravenberch remain on the pitch for the full 90 minutes.

I kept waiting for his number to appear on the substitution board.

It never happened.

I thought he had a stinker, and I’m struggling to understand what Iraola saw that convinced him to keep Ryan out there.

His performance lacked the quality and authority I expect from a Liverpool midfielder.

We were approaching the final stages of a cup tie that was there to be won, and I wanted fresh legs and better decision-making in the middle of the park.

Instead, we took off players I thought were contributing more.

Now, people have suggested Gravenberch was kept on because he might be needed for penalties.

I don’t buy that argument.

There were still minutes remaining to win the match in normal time.

And, unfortunately, when the shootout arrived, Ryan’s penalty was saved.

I’m not going to hammer somebody for missing a penalty. It takes courage to step up, and even the best players miss.

My frustration is with the performance and the decision to leave him on for so long.

Gakpo also had a poor evening.

His touch was loose, passes were overhit, and promising attacking situations kept breaking down.

Credit where it’s due, though. His two penalties were excellent.

That’s football. You can have a dreadful game and still contribute something important.

But I maintain that both players should have been substituted.

Trey Nyoni Was Liverpool’s Standout Performer

Now let’s talk about somebody who genuinely excited me.

Trey Nyoni.

What an absolutely wonderful young footballer.

I thought he was exceptional against Chelsea, and I was furious when his number went up.

He’s so composed, so intelligent and so comfortable with the positional demands of midfield.

It’s genuinely remarkable watching somebody so young understand where he needs to be and how to influence a match.

He makes difficult things look simple.

And that’s one of the greatest compliments I can give any midfielder.

Nyoni knows when to move, where to receive possession and how to make himself available for his teammates.

His awareness is outstanding.

I’ve been impressed with him since his earliest appearances for Liverpool, but performances like this make me even more excited about his future.

He’s still developing physically, and there will inevitably be difficult matches as he gains experience.

That’s perfectly normal.

But I have enormous confidence in his ability.

I want Liverpool to give him opportunities, and I want him competing for a place in this team.

That doesn’t change my belief that we need another quality midfielder.

Competition is healthy, particularly when we’re trying to compete across four competitions.

Nyoni should be part of that future.

And on Wednesday night, I thought he deserved to stay on the pitch.

Mamardashvili And Gomez Delivered When Liverpool Needed Them

I genuinely thought we’d thrown it away during that penalty shootout.

We had opportunities to win it, missed them, and suddenly Chelsea were standing over a penalty that could have sent us out.

My heart was on the floor.

Then Giorgi Mamardashvili stepped up.

What a save.

There was absolutely no margin for error, and he produced the moment Liverpool desperately needed.

I’m delighted for him.

He’s had two encouraging performances in this competition, and hopefully this gives him even greater confidence.

And then there’s Joe Gomez.

Eleven years at Liverpool, and he steps up in a massive shootout and puts his penalty straight into the top corner.

What an unbelievable moment.

He struck it like somebody who’d been taking penalties every weekend for his entire career.

Absolutely brilliant.

Ronald Araújo deserves enormous credit, too.

Ten clearances against Chelsea, more than the rest of Liverpool’s defenders combined.

He’s becoming one of my favourite players to watch.

The aggression, commitment and determination are exactly what I want from a Liverpool defender.

I thought the draw after 90 minutes was probably fair.

Neither side produced its best football, and both had opportunities.

But when the pressure was at its highest, Liverpool found a way through.

Bournemouth Draw Gives Liverpool A Wembley Opportunity

And now we’ve got Bournemouth at Anfield in the quarter-finals.

I’ll absolutely take that.

Bournemouth are a good side, and nobody should underestimate them, but getting another home draw is a massive positive.

We’ve beaten Tottenham and Chelsea to reach this stage.

Nobody can accuse Liverpool of having an easy route.

I’ve said all week how much I want us to take this competition seriously.

I grew up watching Liverpool win League Cups. I love the competition, and I love the possibility of another Wembley trip.

We’re now two rounds away from the final.

That’s something worth getting excited about.

Iraola deserves credit for rotating the squad and getting us through, even though I disagreed strongly with some of his decisions.

Young players gained valuable experience, Mamardashvili delivered a defining moment, and Gomez gave us a penalty I’ll remember for a long time.

Now Arsenal are coming to Anfield.

Five consecutive victories have given us momentum, and I want Liverpool to carry that confidence into Sunday.

But performances still matter.

Gravenberch needs to improve, Gakpo needs to sharpen up, and Nyoni has earned the right to be taken seriously.

I’m absolutely delighted we’re through.

Just please, Liverpool, don’t put me through another penalty shootout like that anytime soon.

Much Love.