Liverpool beat Chelsea on penalties in Carabao Cup Final: what was the longest penalty shootout ever
Liverpool beat Chelsea in the Carabao Cup with one of the longest penalty shootouts in recent memory, but was it the longest? Let's find out!
The Scousers and the Blues put on quite a show in the Carabao Cup Final before going to a penalty shoot, which in itself proved to be something few will forget.
Chelsea's Kepa decides the Carabao final...with a miss
With the tension palpable and both teams at the end of their nerves, Chelsea's goalkeeper, Kepa Arrizabalaga - brought on for the specific purpose - stepped up to the spot to take the 11th penalty kick and what would ultimately be the last kick of the game. Ironic indeed that it's typically the goal keeper who all eyes fall on in a penalty shoot out - for the purpose of stopping spot kicks - but in this case it was the goal keeper who missed. As the ball flew high over the bar and the Liverpool faithful celebrated their Carabao Cup title while singing "You'll never walk alone," some were perhaps left wondering whether or not there had ever been such an extensive penalty shoot out before. After all, surely it's not normal to see a shootout end with a score of 11-10, is it, with nobody having missed until that last penalty from Kepa.
The Longest Penalty shootout in English Football
It was actually not so long ago, October 2021 to be precise when two non league teams, Old Wulfrunians and Lane Head set a new British record of 44 penalties in a JW Hunt cup tie. With every player on both teams having to take two penalties each, including the goal keepers, the shootout ended with a score of 19-18 to Old Wulfs after the 35-minute session! 27 year old left-back Jack Marsh, a teacher, was the man of the moment having slotted home the sudden death winner. "No one had a clue it was a record at the time and everyone was just glad we could finally go home," he said at the time.
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What's the longest penalty shootout in history?
As incredible as it may seem, the unbelievably long session of roulette between the above mentioned non league sides was not actually the longest. For that honor we have to go back to 2005, when the final of the Namibian Cup saw an astonishing 48 penalty kicks taken. It was KK Palace who held their nerves to beat the Civics by a score of 17-16 after the game ended at 2-2. While it may seem unbelievable, the majority of players from both teams actually had to take three penalties in what ultimately proved to be a world record, indeed the penalty shootout lasted almost as long as the game itself. Hats off to Liverpool and Chelsea but it would seem they still have a ways to go!