When Wesley Fofana sent his spot kick over the Anfield bar, the ground already knew. The crowd had pulled Liverpool through 90 minutes and a shootout they could easily have lost, and the forward who converted their equaliser from the spot had warned, days earlier, that this is exactly what the place does.
Morgan Rogers put Chelsea ahead from the spot in the 40th minute. Three minutes later Cody Gakpo levelled from 12 yards, and the fourth-round tie went to kicks after a 1-1 draw. Liverpool held their nerve to edge the shootout 6-5 and reach the quarter-finals, with Giorgi Mamardashvili denying Emmanuel Emegha before Fofana skied the decisive effort over the crossbar.
Gakpo had set the mood days earlier. Speaking to Liverpool’s media after the 2-0 win over Brighton on Sunday, he singled out the home support ahead of Chelsea’s visit and Arsenal’s trip to Anfield four days later.
“Obviously it’s always a big help if we play at home and I think if we can put the energy like we put in now, I think we’re going to get massive help from the fans because they are always behind us,” Gakpo told the club’s official website.
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By the time Fofana was walking towards the Kop end on Wednesday, that logic had done its work.
Iraola feels the shift at home
For Andoni Iraola, the night was a third straight home win across all competitions, extending a winning run that reached five matches overall after the Brighton victory. The Liverpool head coach spoke in his post-match press conference about what he is hearing in the stands.
“They are feeling the support of the ones in the stands and I think when we are all together, we create better atmospheres,” Iraola said. “Even starting losing, there was ‘Let’s go, come on.’”
Iraola also described drawing his former club Bournemouth in the quarter-finals as “special”, noting the Reds had already been handed Spurs and Chelsea in earlier rounds.
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Alonso brushes off Anfield exit
Chelsea’s manager was less interested in dwelling. Xabi Alonso, the former Liverpool midfielder returning to Anfield in the opposition dugout, downplayed the loss and pointed Chelsea’s attention at Saturday’s Premier League trip to Manchester United.
“It’s probably the least important competition for us in the year, so we need to move on,” Alonso said, per Yardbarker. “And as soon as we leave Anfield, our focus is Saturday, is Premier League.”
For Liverpool the next test comes sooner. Iraola’s side host Arsenal at Anfield on Sunday in the Premier League, with Bournemouth drawn as their quarter-final opponent in the Carabao Cup.
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