LONDON, May 15: Add the FA Cup to the collection. Jürgen Klopp has now won every major title for Liverpool.
A 6-5 victory over Chelsea on penalties in Saturday’s final produced Liverpool’s first FA Cup triumph since 2006 and kept it in contention for, potentially if unlikely, a quadruple of trophies.
Just like in the League Cup final in February, the FA Cup showpiece ended 0-0 through 120 minutes before Liverpool prevailed again. This time, the Reds were helped by Chelsea midfielder Mason Mason’s penalty being saved before Konstantinos Tsimikas clinched the shootout win with his first-ever goal for the club.
“The small margins are again the difference and I cannot be more proud of my boys,” said Klopp, who has emulated Alex Ferguson with Manchester United and become only the second manager to win the European Cup, Premier League, League Cup and FA Cup with the same English club.
There was only more Wembley pain for Chelsea. Weeks of ownership turmoil for Chelsea are ending by becoming the first team to lose three consecutive FA Cup final appearances, having been beaten by Arsenal in 2020 and Leicester last year.
The final of world football’s oldest competition had never gone to penalties before at Wembley. There hadn’t even been a goalless final after extra time since it started being played at the national stadium in 1923.
But Liverpool’s last FA Cup success in 2006 was in one of the two previous shootouts that settled the cup final that both happened in Cardiff while Wembley was being rebuilt.
After the ceremony to mark 150 years of the FA Cup, the 141st final was more tense than turgid, just like in the League Cup final. There were 58 shots produced by the teams without finding the net over their two games at Wembley in 2022.
The first half was punctuated by injury delays for Liverpool players.
Alisson had to be treated after his shin took a knock while blocking Marcos Alonso’s shot. The goalkeeper recovered but it wasn’t long before Mohamed Salah went down.
The forward couldn’t continue due to a sore groin but he was able to walk off unaided when being replaced by Diogo Jota in the 33rd minute.
A blistering start to the second half by Chelsea saw Marcos Alonso shoot wide and send a free kick onto the crossbar around Pulisic’s effort being repelled by Alisson’s diving save.
A late flurry of Liverpool attempts couldn’t prevent the game going into extra time with the post hit by Díaz from a tight angle and Andy Robertson from close range.
And for only the second time – after Arsenal’s 2005 meeting with Manchester United in Cardiff – an FA Cup final ended 0-0 after extra time.
The shootout was going Liverpool’s way after captain César Azpilicueta missed Chelsea’s second penalty until Sadio Mane missed a chance to win it when Senegal teammate Mendy saved his kick.
After the teams converted another round of penalties, Mount was thwarted and Tsimikas produced his biggest moment since joining Liverpool in 2020. Now Liverpool has the eighth FA Cup it has been waiting 16 years to win, and another two titles to aim for this season. (AP)
